Narrative:

At approximately XA35Z aircraft was at FL350, .78M, smooth air, high cirrus. We had just finished deviating 25-35 NM southwest of tlh around a line of thunderstorms. We were following a line of aircraft who were also deviating along our route. ATC had just cleared us direct pie, on course. When we were approximately 50 NM north of pie, radar on showing no returns, and seat belt sign on, the aircraft encountered 2 small bumps then encountered severe turbulence. At the same time, there was a static discharge. The left generator dropped off line, along with the autoplt, autothrottle and FMC. The aircraft was uncontrollable for approximately 10 seconds. We descended approximately 3000 ft before we regained control. The generator, autoplt, autothrottle back on line. An emergency was declared and we diverted into tpa. The flight attendants reported there seemed to be no apparent injuries, so a slow descent and approach was made to check flight controls. The aircraft was established on long final, configuring early. No flight abnormalities were encountered. An uneventful landing was made. Paramedics met the aircraft at the gate. 1 female passenger complained of a bump on the head. No other injuries reported. A severe turbulence inspection was made. Aircraft deemed airworthy by maintenance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was the first officer. He was not the PF. The FMC went blank with the loss of the #2 generator, but all components were restored when the #2 generator was back on line. The reason the rptrs called the lightning phenomena a static discharge instead of a lightning strike was that after discussion and checking the aircraft over, there was no entry or exit indication. There were no other reports of problems by other aircraft circumnaving the WX to the reporter's knowledge. The reporter said there was nothing the crew would do differently other than steer clear away from the thunderstorm. There has been no further action taken since he sent in his report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC EXPERIENCED A STATIC DISCHARGE, LOSS OF ACFT CTL FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND THE ACFT FELL 3000 FT IN SEVERE TURB WHILE DEVIATING AROUND A TSTM. ACCOMPANYING THE STATIC DISCHARGE THE L GENERATOR, THE AUTOPLT, AUTOTHROTTLE AND FMC DROPPED OFF THE LINE. THE CREW GOT THE LAST COMPONENTS BACK WHEN PWR WAS RESTORED TO THE L GENERATOR. THE FLC DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO TPA. 1 PAX WAS BUMPED ON THE HEAD.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA35Z ACFT WAS AT FL350, .78M, SMOOTH AIR, HIGH CIRRUS. WE HAD JUST FINISHED DEVIATING 25-35 NM SW OF TLH AROUND A LINE OF TSTMS. WE WERE FOLLOWING A LINE OF ACFT WHO WERE ALSO DEVIATING ALONG OUR RTE. ATC HAD JUST CLRED US DIRECT PIE, ON COURSE. WHEN WE WERE APPROX 50 NM N OF PIE, RADAR ON SHOWING NO RETURNS, AND SEAT BELT SIGN ON, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED 2 SMALL BUMPS THEN ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WAS A STATIC DISCHARGE. THE L GENERATOR DROPPED OFF LINE, ALONG WITH THE AUTOPLT, AUTOTHROTTLE AND FMC. THE ACFT WAS UNCTLABLE FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS. WE DSNDED APPROX 3000 FT BEFORE WE REGAINED CTL. THE GENERATOR, AUTOPLT, AUTOTHROTTLE BACK ON LINE. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE DIVERTED INTO TPA. THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THERE SEEMED TO BE NO APPARENT INJURIES, SO A SLOW DSCNT AND APCH WAS MADE TO CHK FLT CTLS. THE ACFT WAS ESTABLISHED ON LONG FINAL, CONFIGURING EARLY. NO FLT ABNORMALITIES WERE ENCOUNTERED. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT AT THE GATE. 1 FEMALE PAX COMPLAINED OF A BUMP ON THE HEAD. NO OTHER INJURIES RPTED. A SEVERE TURB INSPECTION WAS MADE. ACFT DEEMED AIRWORTHY BY MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS THE FO. HE WAS NOT THE PF. THE FMC WENT BLANK WITH THE LOSS OF THE #2 GENERATOR, BUT ALL COMPONENTS WERE RESTORED WHEN THE #2 GENERATOR WAS BACK ON LINE. THE REASON THE RPTRS CALLED THE LIGHTNING PHENOMENA A STATIC DISCHARGE INSTEAD OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE WAS THAT AFTER DISCUSSION AND CHKING THE ACFT OVER, THERE WAS NO ENTRY OR EXIT INDICATION. THERE WERE NO OTHER RPTS OF PROBS BY OTHER ACFT CIRCUMNAVING THE WX TO THE RPTR'S KNOWLEDGE. THE RPTR SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THE CREW WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY OTHER THAN STEER CLR AWAY FROM THE TSTM. THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN SINCE HE SENT IN HIS RPT.

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.