PC-12
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Human Factors; Weather
[We] experienced a lightning strike during arrival which resulted in aircraft damage. The flight was a Part 91 repositioning flight to pick up passengers. Preflight planning showed some areas of fast moving thunderstorm activity with sufficient spacing between the areas for passage. The flight was uneventful until entering [a new ARTCC] airspace when we received several reroutes to avoid convective activity. The last assigned routing had us paralleling the shoreline southbound to avoid a line of scattered cells over the shoreline. NEXRAD showed only rain (green) behind the TS line and ZZZ was reporting VFR conditions. As we approached ZZZ VOR at 11;000 we were in IMC conditions. We circumnavigated a cell using onboard radar. Onboard radar did not show any cells ahead. Inflight visibility started to improve with some clouds and haze in between. We initiated a descent to 8;000 as instructed by ATC. As we passed through approximately 10;000 a lightning strike hit the aircraft. Both PFD's showed a HDG FAIL warning message which disappeared after 3-4 seconds. The SIC stated that she felt the strike hit the plane. A check of avionics and aircraft system indications did not show any abnormalities. A visual inspection of the aircraft's [exterior] from the cockpit looked normal. We broke out into clear VFR conditions a few seconds later. We completed the flight with an uneventful visual approach and landing.During the post flight inspection; the crew noted the following external damage to the aircraft:1) The trailing edge of one propeller blade was frayed along a 3 inch line.2) The lower rear rudder had a 2 inch diameter burn mark which exposed the composite material underneath.3) The left inboard flap actuator fairing had a 2 inch diameter skin burn mark aft.4) The left winglet had a 2 inch diameter burn mark at the tip and the static wick was missing.The aircraft was grounded and a discrepancy was entered in the logbook in coordination with maintenance control.
It should be noted that when the strike occurred; we were well past the convective cells that we had been previously deviating around. There were no areas of orange; red; or purple on radar or NEXRAD. In addition to this; the Lightning Strike Rate was indicating 0. All indications we had in the cockpit indicated the area we were in when experiencing the strike was a 'non-issue' area. I did not suspect any risk at all where we were. It was interesting to learn that sometimes such occurrences as this one are unavoidable. Previously; I always associated the risk of lightning strikes primarily went hand-in-hand with convective areas. Now I have learned that you are susceptible to strikes even when you are in areas of precipitation depicted as green and yellow; and when you are still maintaining 20 miles avoidance.
PC-12 flight crew reported they incurred some damage from an inflight lightning strike.