Date: 201702
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: Mixed
Weather elements / visibility: Rain; Thunderstorm; Turbulence
Light: Night
Aircraft: EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class C ZZZ
ATC / advisory: TRACON ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Procedure; Weather
Primary problem: Weather

Narrative: Prior to starting the approach into ZZZ; it was evident that a line of thunderstorms was moving over the airport from the West. The weather continued to deteriorate and it appeared that we would not make it in. ATC switched runways in order to attempt to get in behind the worst of the cells. However as we deviated south; we experienced severe turbulence and heavy precipitation flying directly into red and purple painting on our radar. I consistently expressed my discomfort of these conditions due to the airplane unable to maintain altitude and airspeed with drastic deviations up to plus or minus 700 ft. I questioned the captain whether or not the airplane could handle such violent turbulence but he did not seemed phased. I suggested we divert as I observed more cells in our path; yet he was not would not take my comments seriously and elected to continue. Microbursts were then reported on final approach just ahead of our position so captain decided to have us proceed through the localizer and briefly wait them out. After a couple minutes; ATC gave us vectors to turn back toward the localizer. Precipitation was still heavy with moderate turbulence the whole way down; yet I managed to land safely.After the flight had ended we discussed the possibility that we may have been struck by lightning; however could not make a concrete conclusion that one had occurred. Before heading outside to conduct the post flight inspection; captain briefed me on what to look for regarding a possible lightning strike. During the time of my post fight inspection; there was heavy rain; wind; and lightning in the vicinity making visibility restrictive and challenging. I conducted the walk around with an adequate flashlight with ample lighting; as well as my vest and a clear poncho to keep me dry. I searched all features of the plane to the best of my abilities given these precarious weather conditions and found nothing that appeared to be compromised or out of place. I immediately reported this to my captain and a mechanic on board the aircraft after the walk around. The next day we received word that maintenance was called for a missing static wick and other damage to the aircraft due to what must have been a lightning strike and the 'exit point' of the electricity.Although I executed the post flight inspection to the best of my abilities; I may have put more emphasis on the fuselage and surfaces of the aircraft in search of the initial impact area of a lightning strike. If this happens again in the future I will put just as much focus on searching the aft sections of the aircraft to what could be the exit point of such lightning strike as well.I feel as though the captain lacks good judgement and effective CRM after flying multiple trips with him. Flying into a thunderstorm such as this is reckless and he should take the recommendations of his first officer more seriously to divert to an alternate airport rather than take such unnecessary ricks in dangerous conditions. Simply vectoring away from the storm to the east to hold for a while would have been an easy solution given the amount of fuel we had onboard. He has intentionally dismissed using SOPs during multiple past flights; resulting in an unpredictable cockpit environment. Overall he lacks professionalism; including the way in which he communicates with crewmembers. I propose that he put safety at the forefront of operations while simply complying with company policy.




Synopsis: EMB-175 First Officer reported they continued the flight to their destination regardless of the thunderstorms in the area.