AN MDT FLYING THROUGH ZNY AIRSPACE HAS A LIGHTNING STRIKE AND DECLARES AN EMER WHEN A WINGLET IS KNOCKED OFF THE WING.

Narrative

DSNDING TO AVP; THE ACFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. 5-10 MINS PRIOR TO STRIKE; RECEIVING LIGHT CHOP. THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH IMC; LIGHT RAIN; TEMP APPROX -6 DEGS C TO 0 DEGS C. AT THE TIME OF STRIKE; HEARD LOUD BANG ALONG WITH LIGHTNING FLASH. IMMEDIATELY REFED ENG INSTS WHICH ALL APPEARED NORMAL. ALL OTHER INSTS/RADIOS WERE UNAFFECTED. AFTER DISCUSSING THE INCIDENT WITH THE CAPT; FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX (ABOUT 5 MINS); THE CAPT OBSERVED A PIECE OF THE WINGLET MISSING. WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE WING. WE DECIDED TO INSPECT THE WING FOR FURTHER DAMAGE. I; THE PNF; WENT TO THE CABIN TO INSPECT THE WING. FOUND NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT; WE DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT; WHICH HAPPENED TO BE OUR DEST. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE CTL AND MANEUVERABILITY OF THE ACFT WERE NEVER AFFECTED. AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE; NO PIREPS FOR CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS RPTED; NO LIGHTNING OBSERVED; RADAR SHOWED LIGHT RAIN AND DEST ATIS RPTED NO PRECIP.