B737 crew had lightning strike.

Attributes
ACN	458062
Time
Date	199912
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : psc.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Ice
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6300 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	458062
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

On descent into psc at night, we noticed some cloud-to-cloud lightning at our 2 O'clock position a great distance off. We did not see any electrical activity along our course and the radar showed only level 1 returns with some spotty level 2. Around FL270 we began to get significant arcing on the windscreen and wiper blades. A few mins later we entered an area of moderate turbulence and icing, followed by a bright flash in close proximity to the aircraft. The autoplt disengaged and the aircraft pitched down slightly. The captain took control of the aircraft and continued the descent. The turbulence and icing (moderate) lasted for only a few mins and there was no further electrical activity. I reported the turbulence, icing and electrical activity to ATC. ATC replied that nothing significant was on his screen. The flight continued to psc without further incident. Due to the buildup of electricity on the aircraft, the lack of any other electrical activity in our area and the lack of a loud bang normally associated with a lightning strike, we believed this to be a static discharge.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW HAD LIGHTNING STRIKE.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO PSC AT NIGHT, WE NOTICED SOME CLOUD-TO-CLOUD LIGHTNING AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS A GREAT DISTANCE OFF. WE DID NOT SEE ANY ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY ALONG OUR COURSE AND THE RADAR SHOWED ONLY LEVEL 1 RETURNS WITH SOME SPOTTY LEVEL 2. AROUND FL270 WE BEGAN TO GET SIGNIFICANT ARCING ON THE WINDSCREEN AND WIPER BLADES. A FEW MINS LATER WE ENTERED AN AREA OF MODERATE TURB AND ICING, FOLLOWED BY A BRIGHT FLASH IN CLOSE PROX TO THE ACFT. THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED AND THE ACFT PITCHED DOWN SLIGHTLY. THE CAPT TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT. THE TURB AND ICING (MODERATE) LASTED FOR ONLY A FEW MINS AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY. I RPTED THE TURB, ICING AND ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY TO ATC. ATC REPLIED THAT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT WAS ON HIS SCREEN. THE FLT CONTINUED TO PSC WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DUE TO THE BUILDUP OF ELECTRICITY ON THE ACFT, THE LACK OF ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN OUR AREA AND THE LACK OF A LOUD BANG NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A LIGHTNING STRIKE, WE BELIEVED THIS TO BE A STATIC DISCHARGE.

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.