Narrative:

We had a lightning strike or possible static discharge during descent for lga. As a result, we lost some flight controls (rudder, elevator, main stabilizer trim, yaw damper). An emergency was declared and landed at lga uneventfully and taxied to gate. No injuries. My concern is the vulnerability to lightning or static discharge of new generation jets. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reporting captain states that this particular foreign made medium large transport is particularly susceptible to static discharge and control problems associated with static discharges. The aircraft has hydraulically boosted controls on all 3 axes with cable backup. The elevator and rudder servos were disabled electrically, and the rudder was lost completely. Neither pilot could move the rudder, even on the ground. The electric stabilizer trim was lost, but the manual trim backup was available. The ailerons were not affected. The flight augmentation computer, located in the cabin near the galley, was lost. The reporting captain does not know the physical location of the rudder and elevator servos, but they are probably in the tail section. The maintenance crew could find no external evidence of lightning strike, no 'exit wound'. The flaps and landing gear worked normally. The pilot went on to say that he is bidding off of the aircraft as soon as possible as it is a 'nightmare'. There are computer problems. The engines vibrate with a little bit of ice. The engines pick up a load of ice even with the anti-ice 'on'. The company technique to get rid of ice is to jazz the engines. Passenger do not like to have the aircraft vibrate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG SUFFERED A STATIC DISCHARGE AND LOST IT'S RUDDER COMPLETELY AND IT'S ELEVATOR BOOST.

Narrative: WE HAD A LIGHTNING STRIKE OR POSSIBLE STATIC DISCHARGE DURING DSCNT FOR LGA. AS A RESULT, WE LOST SOME FLT CTLS (RUDDER, ELEVATOR, MAIN STABILIZER TRIM, YAW DAMPER). AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND LANDED AT LGA UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO GATE. NO INJURIES. MY CONCERN IS THE VULNERABILITY TO LIGHTNING OR STATIC DISCHARGE OF NEW GENERATION JETS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTING CAPT STATES THAT THIS PARTICULAR FOREIGN MADE MLG IS PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO STATIC DISCHARGE AND CTL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH STATIC DISCHARGES. THE ACFT HAS HYDRAULICALLY BOOSTED CTLS ON ALL 3 AXES WITH CABLE BACKUP. THE ELEVATOR AND RUDDER SERVOS WERE DISABLED ELECTRICALLY, AND THE RUDDER WAS LOST COMPLETELY. NEITHER PLT COULD MOVE THE RUDDER, EVEN ON THE GND. THE ELECTRIC STABILIZER TRIM WAS LOST, BUT THE MANUAL TRIM BACKUP WAS AVAILABLE. THE AILERONS WERE NOT AFFECTED. THE FLT AUGMENTATION COMPUTER, LOCATED IN THE CABIN NEAR THE GALLEY, WAS LOST. THE RPTING CAPT DOES NOT KNOW THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE RUDDER AND ELEVATOR SERVOS, BUT THEY ARE PROBABLY IN THE TAIL SECTION. THE MAINT CREW COULD FIND NO EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF LIGHTNING STRIKE, NO 'EXIT WOUND'. THE FLAPS AND LNDG GEAR WORKED NORMALLY. THE PLT WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE IS BIDDING OFF OF THE ACFT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS IT IS A 'NIGHTMARE'. THERE ARE COMPUTER PROBLEMS. THE ENGS VIBRATE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ICE. THE ENGS PICK UP A LOAD OF ICE EVEN WITH THE ANTI-ICE 'ON'. THE COMPANY TECHNIQUE TO GET RID OF ICE IS TO JAZZ THE ENGS. PAX DO NOT LIKE TO HAVE THE ACFT VIBRATE.

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.