A DA20 LANDS AT ROA AFTER SUFFERING FROM A STATIC DISCHARGE THAT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN A LIGHTNING STRIKE. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED NUMEROUS AREAS OF SLIGHT TO MODERATE DAMAGE.

Narrative

ON AN IFR FLT FROM MSY TO PNE THE ACFT WAS MAKING A PLANNED REFUELING STOP AT ROA. ON DSCNT INTO THE TERMINAL AREA THE ROA WX WAS RPTED AS: 45 BROKEN 6 SM RA. THERE WERE NO ATC OR PIREPS OF THUNDER OR CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY. THE ACFT AIRBORNE WX RADAR WAS OPERATING; INDICATING LIGHT PRECIP. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PRECIP AND ANTICIPATING ICING CONDITIONS (OUTSIDE AIR TEMP MINUS 3-5 DEGS) THE ACFT ENG AND AIRFRAME ANTI-ICING SYS WERE ACTIVATED. AT 7000 FT ON A RADAR VECTOR; THE RAIN INCREASED TO A MODERATE LEVEL AND THE ACFT IGNITION SYS WERE TURNED ON. AT THE TIME OF IGNITION ACTIVATION A LOUD CLAP OF THUNDER AND A VERY BRILLIANT FLASH OF LIGHT WAS OBSERVED BY EVERYONE ON BOARD. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF FAILURE OR ABNORMAL OP OF THE ACFT ENG; NAV; COM OR FLT CTL SYS. THE APCH WAS CONTINUED AND LNDG COMPLETED USING NORMAL PROCS. A POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE VERT STABILIZER AT THE TIP NEAR THE STROBE AND NAV LIGHT. CONTINUATION OF THE FLT WAS CANCELED AND MAINT PERSONNEL FROM A SVC CTR WERE SOUGHT FOR A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION. USING A LIFT BUCKET; MAINT RECOMMENDED NO FURTHER FLT. THE CAPT THEN GNDED THE ACFT UNTIL FURTHER INSPECTIONS AND MAINT WERE COMPLETED. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM MAINT MGR; FALCON JET AND A FALCON SVC CTR WERE SOLICITED. ON APR/XA/98 SVC CTR DISPATCHED A MECH TO CONDUCT AN ONSITE LIGHTNING STRIKE INSPECTION REQUIRED BY THE DASSAULT FALCON JET MAINT MANUAL. ALSO; A FALCON JET TECHNICAL FIELD SVC REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED WITH A REPLACEMENT VERT STABILIZER CAP. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED SEVERAL SMALL HOLES IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE AROUND FRAMES 14-15 WHICH PENETRATED THE ACFT PRESSURE VESSEL. UPON COMPLETION OF THE INSPECTIONS AND INSTALLATION OF THE STABILIZER CAP; AN FAA ONE-TIME SPECIAL FLT PERMIT WAS APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED FROM THE RICHMOND; VA; FSDO TO FLY THE ACFT DIRECTLY TO THE FALCON SVC CTR. THE FERRY FLT WAS NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS LEFT IN THE CARE OF SVC CTR FOR THE 'DETAILED LIGHTNING INSPECTION' REQUIRED BY THE MAINT MANUAL. ESTIMATED TIME FOR THIS INSPECTION IS 3-5 DAYS.