Narrative:

While cruising at FL330 on a flight to flying cloud airport, I observed an area of WX along our route of flight that extended from northeast and central nebraska to southeast and eastern north dakota, into south dakota and parts of southwest minnesota. ATC advised that aircraft were deviated to the south along this WX, and we requested deviation to the south. After approximately 20-30 mins, ATC asked how much farther we intended to deviate. We requested another 20 mi before proceeding per ATC instructions direct mason city and the kaspr 2 arrival to flying cloud. As we began our course towards mcw, we encountered an area of level 3 rain showers, light to moderate continuous turbulence, lightning to our south and ahead at 12 O'clock position. The autoplt was disconnected and hand flown for the duration of the flight. All aircraft system and control functions were normal and the flight was normal. Upon landing, a passenger observed what appeared to be scorching on the aft lower keel. I noticed the same and that the static wick was missing. A further examination of the aircraft revealed an area out the left trailing edge of the aileron that suggested an exit point. Service was asked to put the aircraft in the maintenance hangar and a follow-up was performed the following day. When asked of maintenance about the airworthy condition of the aircraft, the reply was it didn't appear any substantial damage occurred. The aircraft was flown and then returned for a scheduled phase 2 inspection without further incident. The lesson learned from this experience is not to feel pressured by ATC's insistence to proceed on course due to increased volume of traffic, but to continue as decided until the aircraft is clear of all potential WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE30 TURBOPROP SUFFERS A LIGHTNING STRIKE AT FL330 WHILE IN THE PROX OF TSTM ACTIVITY NEAR FSD, SD, ON FREQ WITH ZMP, MN.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL330 ON A FLT TO FLYING CLOUD ARPT, I OBSERVED AN AREA OF WX ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT THAT EXTENDED FROM NE AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA TO SE AND EASTERN N DAKOTA, INTO S DAKOTA AND PARTS OF SW MINNESOTA. ATC ADVISED THAT ACFT WERE DEVIATED TO THE S ALONG THIS WX, AND WE REQUESTED DEV TO THE S. AFTER APPROX 20-30 MINS, ATC ASKED HOW MUCH FARTHER WE INTENDED TO DEVIATE. WE REQUESTED ANOTHER 20 MI BEFORE PROCEEDING PER ATC INSTRUCTIONS DIRECT MASON CITY AND THE KASPR 2 ARR TO FLYING CLOUD. AS WE BEGAN OUR COURSE TOWARDS MCW, WE ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF LEVEL 3 RAIN SHOWERS, LIGHT TO MODERATE CONTINUOUS TURB, LIGHTNING TO OUR S AND AHEAD AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. THE AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED AND HAND FLOWN FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. ALL ACFT SYS AND CTL FUNCTIONS WERE NORMAL AND THE FLT WAS NORMAL. UPON LNDG, A PAX OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SCORCHING ON THE AFT LOWER KEEL. I NOTICED THE SAME AND THAT THE STATIC WICK WAS MISSING. A FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED AN AREA OUT THE L TRAILING EDGE OF THE AILERON THAT SUGGESTED AN EXIT POINT. SVC WAS ASKED TO PUT THE ACFT IN THE MAINT HANGAR AND A FOLLOW-UP WAS PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING DAY. WHEN ASKED OF MAINT ABOUT THE AIRWORTHY CONDITION OF THE ACFT, THE REPLY WAS IT DIDN'T APPEAR ANY SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OCCURRED. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AND THEN RETURNED FOR A SCHEDULED PHASE 2 INSPECTION WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE LESSON LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE IS NOT TO FEEL PRESSURED BY ATC'S INSISTENCE TO PROCEED ON COURSE DUE TO INCREASED VOLUME OF TFC, BUT TO CONTINUE AS DECIDED UNTIL THE ACFT IS CLR OF ALL POTENTIAL WX.

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.