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A PA31 pilot temporarily blinded by lightning lost control of his aircraft but recovered after an 800 ft altitude loss; stress damaging the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 667659 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200508 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : opf.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mia.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Piper Twin Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Aircraft was cleared from 4000 ft down to 3000 ft. As approach cleared me to descend; I was in the immediate vicinity of a lightning strike. I experienced temporary blindness. After I regained sight; I realized I was in an unusual attitude and now 800 ft below 3000 ft. As I regained control of the aircraft; I climbed back up to 3000 ft. The aircraft experienced dented skin and a small puncture hole due to some stressed imposed by the maneuvering to avoid crashing into water.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA31 PLT TEMPORARILY BLINDED BY LIGHTNING LOST CTL OF HIS ACFT BUT RECOVERED AFTER AN 800 FT ALT LOSS; STRESS DAMAGING THE ACFT.
Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED FROM 4000 FT DOWN TO 3000 FT. AS APCH CLRED ME TO DSND; I WAS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE. I EXPERIENCED TEMPORARY BLINDNESS. AFTER I REGAINED SIGHT; I REALIZED I WAS IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AND NOW 800 FT BELOW 3000 FT. AS I REGAINED CTL OF THE ACFT; I CLBED BACK UP TO 3000 FT. THE ACFT EXPERIENCED DENTED SKIN AND A SMALL PUNCTURE HOLE DUE TO SOME STRESSED IMPOSED BY THE MANEUVERING TO AVOID CRASHING INTO WATER.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.