A C750 IN CRUISE AT FL430 IN ZDV'S AIRSPACE WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND DIVERTED TO ICT DUE TO FAILURE OF THE MACH TRIM; AUTOPLT; PRIMARY STABILIZER TRIM; L AND R FLT DIRECTORS; YAW DAMPERS AND WX RADAR.

Date: 2004-06 · Aircraft: Citation X (C750)

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-altitude-excursion-from-assigned-altitude|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

A C750 IN CRUISE AT FL430 IN ZDV'S AIRSPACE WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND DIVERTED TO ICT DUE TO FAILURE OF THE MACH TRIM; AUTOPLT; PRIMARY STABILIZER TRIM; L AND R FLT DIRECTORS; YAW DAMPERS AND WX RADAR.

Narrative

WHILE IN IMC ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND DEVIATING S OFF COURSE TO AVOID A BUILD-UP; OUR ACFT WAS APPARENTLY STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. WHEN THAT OCCURRED; WE LOST OUR AUTOPLT; MACH TRIM; PRIMARY STABILIZER TRIM; FLT DIRECTOR; AND RADAR. WE WERE IN A BLOCK ALT (FL430-FL470) AT FL435. WE BEGAN A DSCNT TO THE BOTTOM OF OUR BLOCK (FL430) AND REQUESTED A DSCNT TO FL410 (PER THE CHKLIST PROC). AS WE WERE ACCOMPLISHING THE CHKLIST FOR LOSS OF STABILIZER TRIM; WE MAY HAVE DSNDED BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT. ONCE THE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE; AND WE REGAINED CTL OF THE STABILIZER TRIM WITH OUR SECONDARY TRIM SYS; WE LEVELED THE ACFT AT FL430. CTR CLRED US TO DSND AND FLY DIRECT TO ICT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT ICT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND FAILED THE AUTOPLT; MACH TRIM; PRIMARY STABILIZER TRIM; YAW DAMPERS; BOTH FLT DIRECTORS AND THE WX RADAR. THE RPTR SAID NO EMER WAS DECLARED; BUT A DIVERSION WAS MADE TO ICT. THE RPTR STATED THE SECONDARY PITCH TRIM WAS SWITCHED ON AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY; BUT AN ALTDEV WAS INCURRED DURING THE EVENT. THE RPTR SAID; ON THE GND; IN ADDITION TO THE ELECTRONIC UNITS THAT WERE REPLACED; BURN SPOTS WERE DISCOVERED ON THE HORIZ STABILIZER. THE RPTR; WHEN QUESTIONED BY THE ANALYST OF THE CONDITION OF THE STATIC DISCHARGERS; STATED THEY WERE FOUND NOT DAMAGED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 624500: WE WERE GETTING LIGHT-MODERATE TURB AND THE VSI SHOWED -800 FT TO +400 FT. WE WERE IN 'ALT HOLD' MODE FOR THE AUTOPLT. THE RADAR WAS SET IN AUTOTILT (+1.5 DEGS); SET IN 50 NM RANGE; AND WAS SHOWING SCATTERED LEVEL 1 ACTIVITY. WE WERE AT LEAST 40 NM FROM THE MAGENTA ACTIVITY. WITHIN ABOUT 3 MINS WE SAW APPROX 5 LIGHTNING BOLTS IN IMC. THE PIC BEGAN HAND FLYING THE ACFT USING 'RAW DATA' AND CALLED FOR THE 'PRIMARY STABILIZER TRIM FAIL' CHKLIST. IT DIRECTED US TO SLOW TO .82 MACH AND DSND TO FL410. I SAW WE WERE JUST ABOVE FL427; ACCORDING TO MY INSTS. CTR MADE US AWARE OF OUR ALT. WE CLBED BACK TO FL430. DURING OUR SUBSEQUENT DSCNT I SWITCHED MY INSTS TO ADC #1 TO ELIMINATE THE ALT DIFFERENCE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A PF WHO IS HAND FLYING EVER MANIPULATE THE FMS. BUT; IT IS HARD TO RESIST WHEN EVERYONE IS BUSY. WE SHOULD HAVE OPERATED THE RADAR IN AND OUT OF AUTOTILT SO WE COULD SEE THE CELLS BELOW US.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.