Narrative:

We had departed fxe for jax at XA30 local time. Our radar (CL60) is normally very sensitive and it painted scattered level 2 and level 3 cells as we flew northbound. Our ride was smooth and we were in mixed flight conditions. 1/2 way to jax the radar had cleared up completely. This picture flight with our preflight WX and our ride remained smooth as we flew northbound with 100 NM radar range selected. Just north of orlando, during a descent to FL240, we encountered a moment of light rain which we thought odd, given our still blank radar screen. Just a few seconds later, we flew into heavy rain, severe turbulence, hail, and the aircraft was struck by lightening. Without radar guidance I guessed that a left turn might extricate us from our predicament and I initiated an energetic one. I also elected to continue our descent in hope of encountering improved conditions. My copilot noted this visually (hail made it too loud for verbal communication) and though he could not hear the radio he announced our conditions, turn, and descent to the center. Just then, we flew out the side of the WX into VMC. The ATC controller issued immediate clearance to 16000 ft though we had called around FL238. The remainder of our flight was for the most part uneventful. We had lost temporary use of our yaw damper and our mach trim due to the lightning strike. Both reset. Our outer plys on both windscreens were cracked and the radome, leading edges and inlets, were all dimpled or eroded. Happily, there were no injuries among those aboard. I doubt that I'll ever regain the level of faith I used to have in radar. This failure was insidious. We still had range arcs and navigation display and they lulled me into belief in an inoperative unit. Supplemental information from acn 310202: at about FL250 we encountered severe turbulence, heavy rain and severe hail. My captain, while trying to maintain control, initiated a left turn 90 degrees and a descent to try to get out of the WX. I saw our descent through FL240 and called jax stating 'severe turbulence, severe hail and descending.' ZJX immediately cleared us to 16000 ft. The only action I wish I would have taken was to declare an emergency. This would have helped ZJX to better understand the situation. ZJX was excellent in their actions. They didn't hesitate to clear us lower and help us in any way possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORPORATE JET'S WX RADAR FAILED INFLT. THE FLC WAS FORCED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AFTER THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED HVY RAIN, SEVERE TURB, HAIL, AND LIGHTNING.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED FXE FOR JAX AT XA30 LCL TIME. OUR RADAR (CL60) IS NORMALLY VERY SENSITIVE AND IT PAINTED SCATTERED LEVEL 2 AND LEVEL 3 CELLS AS WE FLEW NBOUND. OUR RIDE WAS SMOOTH AND WE WERE IN MIXED FLT CONDITIONS. 1/2 WAY TO JAX THE RADAR HAD CLRED UP COMPLETELY. THIS PICTURE FLT WITH OUR PREFLT WX AND OUR RIDE REMAINED SMOOTH AS WE FLEW NBOUND WITH 100 NM RADAR RANGE SELECTED. JUST N OF ORLANDO, DURING A DSCNT TO FL240, WE ENCOUNTERED A MOMENT OF LIGHT RAIN WHICH WE THOUGHT ODD, GIVEN OUR STILL BLANK RADAR SCREEN. JUST A FEW SECONDS LATER, WE FLEW INTO HVY RAIN, SEVERE TURB, HAIL, AND THE ACFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTENING. WITHOUT RADAR GUIDANCE I GUESSED THAT A L TURN MIGHT EXTRICATE US FROM OUR PREDICAMENT AND I INITIATED AN ENERGETIC ONE. I ALSO ELECTED TO CONTINUE OUR DSCNT IN HOPE OF ENCOUNTERING IMPROVED CONDITIONS. MY COPLT NOTED THIS VISUALLY (HAIL MADE IT TOO LOUD FOR VERBAL COM) AND THOUGH HE COULD NOT HEAR THE RADIO HE ANNOUNCED OUR CONDITIONS, TURN, AND DSCNT TO THE CTR. JUST THEN, WE FLEW OUT THE SIDE OF THE WX INTO VMC. THE ATC CTLR ISSUED IMMEDIATE CLRNC TO 16000 FT THOUGH WE HAD CALLED AROUND FL238. THE REMAINDER OF OUR FLT WAS FOR THE MOST PART UNEVENTFUL. WE HAD LOST TEMPORARY USE OF OUR YAW DAMPER AND OUR MACH TRIM DUE TO THE LIGHTNING STRIKE. BOTH RESET. OUR OUTER PLYS ON BOTH WINDSCREENS WERE CRACKED AND THE RADOME, LEADING EDGES AND INLETS, WERE ALL DIMPLED OR ERODED. HAPPILY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES AMONG THOSE ABOARD. I DOUBT THAT I'LL EVER REGAIN THE LEVEL OF FAITH I USED TO HAVE IN RADAR. THIS FAILURE WAS INSIDIOUS. WE STILL HAD RANGE ARCS AND NAV DISPLAY AND THEY LULLED ME INTO BELIEF IN AN INOP UNIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 310202: AT ABOUT FL250 WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB, HVY RAIN AND SEVERE HAIL. MY CAPT, WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN CTL, INITIATED A L TURN 90 DEGS AND A DSCNT TO TRY TO GET OUT OF THE WX. I SAW OUR DSCNT THROUGH FL240 AND CALLED JAX STATING 'SEVERE TURB, SEVERE HAIL AND DSNDING.' ZJX IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO 16000 FT. THE ONLY ACTION I WISH I WOULD HAVE TAKEN WAS TO DECLARE AN EMER. THIS WOULD HAVE HELPED ZJX TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SIT. ZJX WAS EXCELLENT IN THEIR ACTIONS. THEY DIDN'T HESITATE TO CLR US LOWER AND HELP US IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.

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.