Narrative:

Air carrier ahead of us at 10000 ft reported a lightning strike and the fact that nothing was showing on their radar. We were IMC and encountered very light chop. Our radar was indicating light precipitation to the left and right of us. Captain asked ATC for a heading deviation after ATC informed us that we were approaching the area of the strike. ATC was busy, and after a few calls by him to other aircraft, he came back to us with the comment, 'you would have to go clear around' and then 'a deviation would take you about 12 mi out,' or words to that effect. The captain did not fully understand what ATC told us and he hesitated in replying to ATC while we determined what each of us heard. During this time, while we still weren't sure where we were in relation to the strike report, ATC issued commands to other aircraft and did not query us further. Apparently, we were only 12-15 mi behind the 'struck' aircraft, because about 3 mins had passed since the first report. We heard a very loud crack throughout the cockpit and cabin and were given a good jolt at the same time. No one was injured and no entry or exit holes were later found, so apparently, we were not hit directly. After we called ATC with our strike report, the controller finally took notice and immediately started to issue heading changes to the aircraft behind, in 1 case issuing a 180 degree change. He also made the comment that, from what he could see on his radar screen, the WX in that area was constantly changing. My concern is that the controller did not appear to be concerned about the danger after the first report and did not give us any assistance. After we reported our strike, he did not hesitate to clear the area. If we had changed our heading and tried to tell him of the new heading, he probably would have ripped us a new one. Any suggestions or comments on anything we might have done differently or the controller? Does ATC understand the dangers of lightning strikes? Thanks for your time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that there was no damage or injury. ATC did not give them any help prior to the lightning strike, but his interest seemed to peak a little after the second strike in about 3 mins in the same general area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG HAD A LIGHTNING STRIKE.

Narrative: ACR AHEAD OF US AT 10000 FT RPTED A LIGHTNING STRIKE AND THE FACT THAT NOTHING WAS SHOWING ON THEIR RADAR. WE WERE IMC AND ENCOUNTERED VERY LIGHT CHOP. OUR RADAR WAS INDICATING LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO THE L AND R OF US. CAPT ASKED ATC FOR A HDG DEV AFTER ATC INFORMED US THAT WE WERE APCHING THE AREA OF THE STRIKE. ATC WAS BUSY, AND AFTER A FEW CALLS BY HIM TO OTHER ACFT, HE CAME BACK TO US WITH THE COMMENT, 'YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO CLR AROUND' AND THEN 'A DEV WOULD TAKE YOU ABOUT 12 MI OUT,' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. THE CAPT DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ATC TOLD US AND HE HESITATED IN REPLYING TO ATC WHILE WE DETERMINED WHAT EACH OF US HEARD. DURING THIS TIME, WHILE WE STILL WEREN'T SURE WHERE WE WERE IN RELATION TO THE STRIKE RPT, ATC ISSUED COMMANDS TO OTHER ACFT AND DID NOT QUERY US FURTHER. APPARENTLY, WE WERE ONLY 12-15 MI BEHIND THE 'STRUCK' ACFT, BECAUSE ABOUT 3 MINS HAD PASSED SINCE THE FIRST RPT. WE HEARD A VERY LOUD CRACK THROUGHOUT THE COCKPIT AND CABIN AND WERE GIVEN A GOOD JOLT AT THE SAME TIME. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND NO ENTRY OR EXIT HOLES WERE LATER FOUND, SO APPARENTLY, WE WERE NOT HIT DIRECTLY. AFTER WE CALLED ATC WITH OUR STRIKE RPT, THE CTLR FINALLY TOOK NOTICE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO ISSUE HDG CHANGES TO THE ACFT BEHIND, IN 1 CASE ISSUING A 180 DEG CHANGE. HE ALSO MADE THE COMMENT THAT, FROM WHAT HE COULD SEE ON HIS RADAR SCREEN, THE WX IN THAT AREA WAS CONSTANTLY CHANGING. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE CTLR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER AFTER THE FIRST RPT AND DID NOT GIVE US ANY ASSISTANCE. AFTER WE RPTED OUR STRIKE, HE DID NOT HESITATE TO CLR THE AREA. IF WE HAD CHANGED OUR HDG AND TRIED TO TELL HIM OF THE NEW HDG, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RIPPED US A NEW ONE. ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ANYTHING WE MIGHT HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY OR THE CTLR? DOES ATC UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF LIGHTNING STRIKES? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. ATC DID NOT GIVE THEM ANY HELP PRIOR TO THE LIGHTNING STRIKE, BUT HIS INTEREST SEEMED TO PEAK A LITTLE AFTER THE SECOND STRIKE IN ABOUT 3 MINS IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA.

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.