PA28 flight school operator had one of his aircraft hit by lightning.

Attributes
ACN	559415
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Turbulence Thunderstorm other
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	other personnel other
ASRS Report	559415
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After the aircraft returned from a flight, the next pilot preflting found the tail beacon missing from the aircraft. Both bulbs and lens were gone. Upon replacing bulb we found it would not work. We checked the strobe power pack, and found black charring on the circuit board. Power pack was replaced and unit worked fine. We also noted the #2 communication was reported working, but unable to transmit or receive. Sent to avionics shop which found the #2 communication antenna (located on bottom of aircraft) was inoperative. Pilot states he did not fly through any thunderstorm or anything other than some turbulence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 FLT SCHOOL OPERATOR HAD ONE OF HIS ACFT HIT BY LIGHTNING.

Narrative: AFTER THE ACFT RETURNED FROM A FLT, THE NEXT PLT PREFLTING FOUND THE TAIL BEACON MISSING FROM THE ACFT. BOTH BULBS AND LENS WERE GONE. UPON REPLACING BULB WE FOUND IT WOULD NOT WORK. WE CHKED THE STROBE PWR PACK, AND FOUND BLACK CHARRING ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD. PWR PACK WAS REPLACED AND UNIT WORKED FINE. WE ALSO NOTED THE #2 COM WAS RPTED WORKING, BUT UNABLE TO XMIT OR RECEIVE. SENT TO AVIONICS SHOP WHICH FOUND THE #2 COM ANTENNA (LOCATED ON BOTTOM OF ACFT) WAS INOP. PLT STATES HE DID NOT FLY THROUGH ANY TSTM OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN SOME TURB.

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.