B737-800 is victim of lightning strike during climb out from cle.

Attributes
ACN	731674
Time
Date	200703
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	731674
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Major lightning strike on nose of aircraft encountered while climbing through backside of heavy precipitation area west of cle. Encounter occurred at approximately 10000 ft MSL. First officer was PF. Apparent lightning and discharge accompanied by loud bang seen by all occupants of aircraft. Many exterior surfaces of aircraft seen arcing and emitting static or genuine electrical discharge. Climb stopped at 15000 ft MSL after strike. Speed reduced from 280 KIAS to 250 KIAS. Aircraft system; structure and handling fully evaluated by crew. ATC immediately notified. ATC tracking of flight with provision for services given to flight as it proceeded. Maintenance control immediately notified and consulted. Dispatch immediately notified and consulted. Following evaluate and concurrence at all levels; flight proceeded to destination with no further incident. Only affected onboard system was the APU's fire detection system. Postflt maintenance inspection revealed no damage to aircraft except for 50% of static wick at top of vertical stabilizer missing. Our airline should consider the development of a brief checklist which addresses certain actions or basic procedures that might be performed by flight and cabin crew following a significant and potentially disruptive or damaging in-flight lightning strike.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 IS VICTIM OF LIGHTNING STRIKE DURING CLBOUT FROM CLE.

Narrative: MAJOR LIGHTNING STRIKE ON NOSE OF ACFT ENCOUNTERED WHILE CLBING THROUGH BACKSIDE OF HVY PRECIP AREA W OF CLE. ENCOUNTER OCCURRED AT APPROX 10000 FT MSL. FO WAS PF. APPARENT LIGHTNING AND DISCHARGE ACCOMPANIED BY LOUD BANG SEEN BY ALL OCCUPANTS OF ACFT. MANY EXTERIOR SURFACES OF ACFT SEEN ARCING AND EMITTING STATIC OR GENUINE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE. CLB STOPPED AT 15000 FT MSL AFTER STRIKE. SPD REDUCED FROM 280 KIAS TO 250 KIAS. ACFT SYS; STRUCTURE AND HANDLING FULLY EVALUATED BY CREW. ATC IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED. ATC TRACKING OF FLT WITH PROVISION FOR SVCS GIVEN TO FLT AS IT PROCEEDED. MAINT CTL IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED AND CONSULTED. DISPATCH IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED AND CONSULTED. FOLLOWING EVAL AND CONCURRENCE AT ALL LEVELS; FLT PROCEEDED TO DEST WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. ONLY AFFECTED ONBOARD SYS WAS THE APU'S FIRE DETECTION SYS. POSTFLT MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED NO DAMAGE TO ACFT EXCEPT FOR 50% OF STATIC WICK AT TOP OF VERT STABILIZER MISSING. OUR AIRLINE SHOULD CONSIDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BRIEF CHKLIST WHICH ADDRESSES CERTAIN ACTIONS OR BASIC PROCS THAT MIGHT BE PERFORMED BY FLT AND CABIN CREW FOLLOWING A SIGNIFICANT AND POTENTIALLY DISRUPTIVE OR DAMAGING INFLT LIGHTNING STRIKE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.