What happened
The flight was conducting an approach to the airport while descending from an altitude of 16,000 feet down to 11,000 feet. During this descent, the airplane encountered light rain that gradually intensified into heavier precipitation.
Recognizing the deteriorating weather conditions, the captain requested a 20-degree right turn from air traffic control (ATC) to avoid the worst of the storm. ATC approved the request. However, shortly after the aircraft began turning onto the new heading, it was struck by lightning.