from http:
www.answerbag.com
http://www.answerbag.com/c_view.php/508
There are only a handful of accidents on record due to a strike. Most notably was 08 DEC 1963 when lightening hit a Pan Am Boeing 707 directly on the fuel vent causing it to explode inflight. After that accident, the vents were redesigned and static wicks were required to be installed on aircraft.
These are the 13 accidents on record where ligtning was a cause or contributing factor:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/....php?Event=WXL
Lightning strikes are more common than one might think. Statistics show that the commercial airlines average one hit per aircraft per year or an average of once every 1500 flight hours.