What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)04/12/01, At approximately 1500 CST, aircraft N1858J took a lighting strike while flying at 17,000 ft. on an IFR flight plan. There was a small fire onboard, when the electrical charge traveled through a hand antenna igniting flight charts and the aircraft check list inside a storage pouch mounter on the center console. The pilot's wife grabbed the charts and check list, threw them on the floor and stomped the flames out. The pilot performed an emergency landing at the (eld) airport without incident. Maintenance personnel at (eld) examined the aircraft and nosted evidence of lighting strike to one flap, vertical stabilizer, and engine cowling. Upon returning to home base (4I3), additional inspection showed that one prop blade trailing edge showed signs of lighting strike. The engine and propeller are being disassembled for a lighting strike inspection.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)04/12/01, AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 CST, AIRCRAFT N1858J TOOK A LIGHTING STRIKE WHILE FLYING AT 17,000 FT. ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE ONBOARD, WHEN THE ELECTRICAL CHARGE TRAVELED THROUGH A HAND ANTENNA IGNITING FLIGHT CHARTS AND THE AIRCRAFT CHECK LIST INSIDE A STORAGE POUCH MOUNTER ON THE CENTER CONSOLE. THE PILOT'S WIFE GRABBED THE CHARTS AND CHECK LIST, THREW THEM ON THE FLOOR AND STOMPED THE FLAMES OUT. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE (ELD) AIRPORT WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AT (ELD) EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND NOSTED EVIDENCE OF LIGHTING STRIKE TO ONE FLAP, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND ENGINE COWLING. UPON RETURNING TO HOME BASE (4I3), ADDITIONAL INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ONE PROP BLADE TRAILING EDGE SHOWED SIGNS OF LIGHTING STRIKE. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ARE BEING DISASSEMBLED FOR A LIGHTING STRIKE INSPECTION.