Narrative:

On an IFR flight from msy to pne the aircraft was making a planned refueling stop at roa. On descent into the terminal area the roa WX was reported as: 45 broken 6 SM RA. There were no ATC or PIREPS of thunder or convective activity in the vicinity. The aircraft airborne WX radar was operating, indicating light precipitation. Prior to entering the precipitation and anticipating icing conditions (outside air temperature minus 3-5 degrees) the aircraft engine and airframe anti-icing system were activated. At 7000 ft on a radar vector, the rain increased to a moderate level and the aircraft ignition system were turned on. At the time of ignition activation a loud clap of thunder and a very brilliant flash of light was observed by everyone on board. There were no indications of failure or abnormal operation of the aircraft engine, navigation, communication or flight control system. The approach was continued and landing completed using normal procedures. A postflt inspection revealed visible damage to the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer at the tip near the strobe and navigation light. Continuation of the flight was canceled and maintenance personnel from a service center were sought for a more detailed inspection. Using a lift bucket, maintenance recommended no further flight. The captain then grounded the aircraft until further inspections and maintenance were completed. Technical assistance from maintenance manager, falcon jet and a falcon service center were solicited. On apr/xa/98 service center dispatched a mechanic to conduct an onsite lightning strike inspection required by the dassault falcon jet maintenance manual. Also, a falcon jet technical field service representative arrived with a replacement vertical stabilizer cap. Further inspection revealed several small holes in the undercarriage around frames 14-15 which penetrated the aircraft pressure vessel. Upon completion of the inspections and installation of the stabilizer cap, an FAA one-time special flight permit was applied for and received from the richmond, va, FSDO to fly the aircraft directly to the falcon service center. The ferry flight was normal. The aircraft was left in the care of service center for the 'detailed lightning inspection' required by the maintenance manual. Estimated time for this inspection is 3-5 days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DA20 LANDS AT ROA AFTER SUFFERING FROM A STATIC DISCHARGE THAT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN A LIGHTNING STRIKE. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED NUMEROUS AREAS OF SLIGHT TO MODERATE DAMAGE.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT FROM MSY TO PNE THE ACFT WAS MAKING A PLANNED REFUELING STOP AT ROA. ON DSCNT INTO THE TERMINAL AREA THE ROA WX WAS RPTED AS: 45 BROKEN 6 SM RA. THERE WERE NO ATC OR PIREPS OF THUNDER OR CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY. THE ACFT AIRBORNE WX RADAR WAS OPERATING, INDICATING LIGHT PRECIP. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PRECIP AND ANTICIPATING ICING CONDITIONS (OUTSIDE AIR TEMP MINUS 3-5 DEGS) THE ACFT ENG AND AIRFRAME ANTI-ICING SYS WERE ACTIVATED. AT 7000 FT ON A RADAR VECTOR, THE RAIN INCREASED TO A MODERATE LEVEL AND THE ACFT IGNITION SYS WERE TURNED ON. AT THE TIME OF IGNITION ACTIVATION A LOUD CLAP OF THUNDER AND A VERY BRILLIANT FLASH OF LIGHT WAS OBSERVED BY EVERYONE ON BOARD. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF FAILURE OR ABNORMAL OP OF THE ACFT ENG, NAV, COM OR FLT CTL SYS. THE APCH WAS CONTINUED AND LNDG COMPLETED USING NORMAL PROCS. A POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE VERT STABILIZER AT THE TIP NEAR THE STROBE AND NAV LIGHT. CONTINUATION OF THE FLT WAS CANCELED AND MAINT PERSONNEL FROM A SVC CTR WERE SOUGHT FOR A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION. USING A LIFT BUCKET, MAINT RECOMMENDED NO FURTHER FLT. THE CAPT THEN GNDED THE ACFT UNTIL FURTHER INSPECTIONS AND MAINT WERE COMPLETED. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM MAINT MGR, FALCON JET AND A FALCON SVC CTR WERE SOLICITED. ON APR/XA/98 SVC CTR DISPATCHED A MECH TO CONDUCT AN ONSITE LIGHTNING STRIKE INSPECTION REQUIRED BY THE DASSAULT FALCON JET MAINT MANUAL. ALSO, A FALCON JET TECHNICAL FIELD SVC REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED WITH A REPLACEMENT VERT STABILIZER CAP. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED SEVERAL SMALL HOLES IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE AROUND FRAMES 14-15 WHICH PENETRATED THE ACFT PRESSURE VESSEL. UPON COMPLETION OF THE INSPECTIONS AND INSTALLATION OF THE STABILIZER CAP, AN FAA ONE-TIME SPECIAL FLT PERMIT WAS APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED FROM THE RICHMOND, VA, FSDO TO FLY THE ACFT DIRECTLY TO THE FALCON SVC CTR. THE FERRY FLT WAS NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS LEFT IN THE CARE OF SVC CTR FOR THE 'DETAILED LIGHTNING INSPECTION' REQUIRED BY THE MAINT MANUAL. ESTIMATED TIME FOR THIS INSPECTION IS 3-5 DAYS.

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.