What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was on an approach into the bradley international airport when it was struck by lightning. Aircraft damage included two severed elevator cables, bonding wires separated, and burning and pitting on the external belly skin. There was also a hole and burning along the left elevator trailing edge, at the fourth static wick from the outboard end. The pilots reported the EFIS instruments turned different colors after the lightning strike. The pilots did not report difficulty in handling the aircraft, rather they did not know that the elevators were split due to the severed cables. The aircraft landed without incident. However, the pilots did report that they were unable to engage the gust lock on taxi into the terminal.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN APPROACH INTO THE BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHEN IT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE INCLUDED TWO SEVERED ELEVATOR CABLES, BONDING WIRES SEPARATED, AND BURNING AND PITTING ON THE EXTERNAL BELLY SKIN. THERE WAS ALSO A HOLE AND BURNING ALONG THE LEFT ELEVATOR TRAILING EDGE, AT THE FOURTH STATIC WICK FROM THE OUTBOARD END. THE PILOTS REPORTED THE EFIS INSTRUMENTS TURNED DIFFERENT COLORS AFTER THE LIGHTNING STRIKE. THE PILOTS DID NOT REPORT DIFFICULTY IN HANDLING THE AIRCRAFT, RATHER THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT THE ELEVATORS WERE SPLIT DUE TO THE SEVERED CABLES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE PILOTS DID REPORT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ENGAGE THE GUST LOCK ON TAXI INTO THE TERMINAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.