Narrative:

Descending through a layer of stratus and light rain at plus 3 degrees celsius, we noticed static on the radio, at 10000 ft MSL. We leveled off at 9000 ft MSL and got very light turbulence. We requested lower and we were cleared to 7000 ft. When passing through 8800 ft at approximately 200 KIAS a very, very loud bang and bright flash of light came from somewhere in front of the airplane. A large number of electrical equipment was inoperative and air was rushing in the nose. First officer pointed out that the gear doors were missing and several actuators were dangling out. We assumed we were hit by lightning. Later we learned it was static discharge. The airplane was recently painted and the static strips on the nose were painted over. The discharge also made a hole going out the tail and the gear doors hit the wing, making a hole and a dent. No injuries. The light transport should have static strips on the nose cone. Since all 4 were painted over, no one remembered they should be there. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that in follow- up it was determined that some strips had been removed before painting and simply not replaced. Others had been painted over and not noticed in preflight. These strips are less than 1/4 inch thick, just slightly thicker than tin foil, and about 1 ft long. When all 4 are missing there is nothing to compare, fraying or missing strips, so can easily be missed in preflight check. Reporter asked several other pilots to check aircraft and see what was missing and none of them caught the static strip not being there. The cost of replacement of damaged equipment was tremendous, all for a small part missing. This was not a lightning strike as this aircraft has been plagued with, but static build up then discharge. Reporter will follow up with letters to FAA and manufacturer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT ON DSCNT EXPERIENCES BRIGHT FLASH AND LOUD BANG. RADOME DAMAGE, ELECTRICAL EQUIP FAILURE.

Narrative: DSNDING THROUGH A LAYER OF STRATUS AND LIGHT RAIN AT PLUS 3 DEGS CELSIUS, WE NOTICED STATIC ON THE RADIO, AT 10000 FT MSL. WE LEVELED OFF AT 9000 FT MSL AND GOT VERY LIGHT TURB. WE REQUESTED LOWER AND WE WERE CLRED TO 7000 FT. WHEN PASSING THROUGH 8800 FT AT APPROX 200 KIAS A VERY, VERY LOUD BANG AND BRIGHT FLASH OF LIGHT CAME FROM SOMEWHERE IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. A LARGE NUMBER OF ELECTRICAL EQUIP WAS INOP AND AIR WAS RUSHING IN THE NOSE. FO POINTED OUT THAT THE GEAR DOORS WERE MISSING AND SEVERAL ACTUATORS WERE DANGLING OUT. WE ASSUMED WE WERE HIT BY LIGHTNING. LATER WE LEARNED IT WAS STATIC DISCHARGE. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECENTLY PAINTED AND THE STATIC STRIPS ON THE NOSE WERE PAINTED OVER. THE DISCHARGE ALSO MADE A HOLE GOING OUT THE TAIL AND THE GEAR DOORS HIT THE WING, MAKING A HOLE AND A DENT. NO INJURIES. THE LTT SHOULD HAVE STATIC STRIPS ON THE NOSE CONE. SINCE ALL 4 WERE PAINTED OVER, NO ONE REMEMBERED THEY SHOULD BE THERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT IN FOLLOW- UP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SOME STRIPS HAD BEEN REMOVED BEFORE PAINTING AND SIMPLY NOT REPLACED. OTHERS HAD BEEN PAINTED OVER AND NOT NOTICED IN PREFLT. THESE STRIPS ARE LESS THAN 1/4 INCH THICK, JUST SLIGHTLY THICKER THAN TIN FOIL, AND ABOUT 1 FT LONG. WHEN ALL 4 ARE MISSING THERE IS NOTHING TO COMPARE, FRAYING OR MISSING STRIPS, SO CAN EASILY BE MISSED IN PREFLT CHK. RPTR ASKED SEVERAL OTHER PLTS TO CHK ACFT AND SEE WHAT WAS MISSING AND NONE OF THEM CAUGHT THE STATIC STRIP NOT BEING THERE. THE COST OF REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED EQUIP WAS TREMENDOUS, ALL FOR A SMALL PART MISSING. THIS WAS NOT A LIGHTNING STRIKE AS THIS ACFT HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH, BUT STATIC BUILD UP THEN DISCHARGE. RPTR WILL FOLLOW UP WITH LETTERS TO FAA AND MANUFACTURER.

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.