GOV SMT EXPERIENCES A LIGHTNING STRIKE WHILE DETOURING TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative

FAST MOVING COLD FRONT MOVING W TO E ACROSS FLORIDA CAUSED A LINE OF LEVEL 3 AND LEVEL 4 TSTMS. WHILE DEVIATING; USING RADAR AND STORM SCOPE; AROUND LEVEL 4 CELL; ACFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. I AND FO THOUGHT IT HAD MISSED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO NOISE AND FLASH SEEMED WELL TO SIDE OF ACFT. AFTER LNDG; WE CLOSELY INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND BURN HOLES ON THE FLAPS AND AN AILERON. ALSO A BURN MARK ON THE CTR OF THE RADOME. WE COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY STRIKE ON EITHER PROP. LIGHTNING IS A VERY UNPREDICTABLE PHENOMENON AND NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR RADAR OR STORM SCOPE AND HOW WELL YOU MANEUVER THE ACFT; WHEN FLYING IN HIGHLY CHARGED AIR IN THE VICINITY OF TSTMS; LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY. I FEEL I WAS PRESSURED INTO TAKING A FLT AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT BASED ON KNOWN SEVERE WX. IN THE FUTURE I SHALL STAND FIRM AND REJECT ANY SUCH PRESSURES. BOSSES CAN'T BE PUT INTO THE LOOP WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING PROPER FLYING DECISIONS. WE FERRIED THE ACFT BACK TO OUR HOME BASE WHERE A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION COULD BE MADE; AND WHERE THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A LIGHTNING STRIKE COULD BE COMPLETED.