Narrative:

At XA14Z flight departed ord for madison, wi. On the taxi out the crew went through the runway 27L pad and made a 360 degree turn and used the radar to evaluate the WX. The sky in the direction of flight was clear. About 5 mins after departing runway 22L, the crew encountered a small line of thunder clouds. ATC authorized an easterly deviation around this WX. Another more severe line was on the other side of this line. The crew requested and received clearance to parallel the back side of this line. An altitude of 13000 ft was assigned. Before contacting ATC on the new frequency, the aircraft received a lightning strike to the radar dome area. There was a loud bang, a flash, and a sharp rap on the rudder peddles. A quick survey of the flight system and equipment indicated a loss of the left AC wild generator. The captain's and first officer's heading and attitude instruments were lost. The first officer tried to continue flying using the standby gyroscope, but the location of this instrument made flying from the right seat very difficult. Therefore, control was transferred to the captain. In the process of trying to regain control of the situation the aircraft inadvertently went to 13570 ft. ZAU was notified of the problem and the flight received priority handling. The WX at the nearest airport and chicago was worse than madison, so the flight headed there. An uneventful ILS landing was made in madison. A post-flight inspection of the airplane revealed burnt and charred paint on the nosewheel landing gear doors. An exit hole was found at the tip of one of the propeller blades on the #1 engine. The last foot or so of the compositely constructed blade was puffed out to a thickness of about 2 inches. The very tip was blown apart about 1/2 inch exposing a charred interior. No other signs of damage were discovered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION OCCURS AFTER ACR MDT SUFFERS A LIGHTNING STRIKE IN PROX OF TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative: AT XA14Z FLT DEPARTED ORD FOR MADISON, WI. ON THE TAXI OUT THE CREW WENT THROUGH THE RWY 27L PAD AND MADE A 360 DEG TURN AND USED THE RADAR TO EVALUATE THE WX. THE SKY IN THE DIRECTION OF FLT WAS CLR. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER DEPARTING RWY 22L, THE CREW ENCOUNTERED A SMALL LINE OF THUNDER CLOUDS. ATC AUTHORIZED AN EASTERLY DEV AROUND THIS WX. ANOTHER MORE SEVERE LINE WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS LINE. THE CREW REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO PARALLEL THE BACK SIDE OF THIS LINE. AN ALT OF 13000 FT WAS ASSIGNED. BEFORE CONTACTING ATC ON THE NEW FREQ, THE ACFT RECEIVED A LIGHTNING STRIKE TO THE RADAR DOME AREA. THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, A FLASH, AND A SHARP RAP ON THE RUDDER PEDDLES. A QUICK SURVEY OF THE FLT SYS AND EQUIP INDICATED A LOSS OF THE L AC WILD GENERATOR. THE CAPT'S AND FO'S HDG AND ATTITUDE INSTS WERE LOST. THE FO TRIED TO CONTINUE FLYING USING THE STANDBY GYROSCOPE, BUT THE LOCATION OF THIS INST MADE FLYING FROM THE R SEAT VERY DIFFICULT. THEREFORE, CTL WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CAPT. IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REGAIN CTL OF THE SIT THE ACFT INADVERTENTLY WENT TO 13570 FT. ZAU WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROB AND THE FLT RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING. THE WX AT THE NEAREST ARPT AND CHICAGO WAS WORSE THAN MADISON, SO THE FLT HEADED THERE. AN UNEVENTFUL ILS LNDG WAS MADE IN MADISON. A POST-FLT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED BURNT AND CHARRED PAINT ON THE NOSEWHEEL LNDG GEAR DOORS. AN EXIT HOLE WAS FOUND AT THE TIP OF ONE OF THE PROP BLADES ON THE #1 ENG. THE LAST FOOT OR SO OF THE COMPOSITELY CONSTRUCTED BLADE WAS PUFFED OUT TO A THICKNESS OF ABOUT 2 INCHES. THE VERY TIP WAS BLOWN APART ABOUT 1/2 INCH EXPOSING A CHARRED INTERIOR. NO OTHER SIGNS OF DAMAGE WERE DISCOVERED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.