from AvWeb 12/20/99:

LIGHTNING TURNS BRITISH "GLIDER" INTO "FALLER"...
If you've ever had a close call with a building thunderstorm, the just-
completed British aviation authority report of a lightning strike to a
Schleicher ASK-21 glider makes for interesting reading.  On April 17,
1999, the ASK-21 launched with an instructor and student from a strip in
the United Kingdom as bad weather approached.  The instructor flew into
a clear area close along the front edge of the cloud ...; as he turned
the glider away to make his return to the field, the glider was struck
by what authorities call a "massive" bolt of lightning.  A large BANG
that could be heard in a nearby town was followed by sections of the
glider's airframe simply disintegrating.


..PROVING YOU DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH MOTHER NATURE
The instructor told investigators he was knocked out, and when he awoke,
realized he had a "real emergency requiring unpleasant and decisive
action."  Luckily, both student and pilot were able to bail out,
suffering non-life-threatening injuries in the jump to safety.  Though
the bulk of the glider was made of non-conductive glass reinforced
plastic, bonded joints failed, wing skin shattered, and the glider
suffered other damage before falling in a heap to the ground.  Just more
proof of why it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.

  NOTE: AVweb's Newswire contains more details and a link to the full
  accident report.