Military spc thunderstorm encounter at cruise altitude. Aircraft damaged by hail.

Attributes
ACN	187447
Time
Date	199108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gso
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Experimental
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : military pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	187447
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This was an otherwise normal spc flight on IFR airways. Due to the lack of WX radar and the very poor compromise solution of using aircraft surface search radar we were 'cleared' into an area with an imbedded developing thunderstorm detected by our onboard radar operator. We encountered considerable hail causing structural damage to the radome and unusual flight characteristics. I feel that we were lucky and the event could have resulted in loss of aircraft and crew. I would like to see an outside agency underscore the need for a WX radar operated from the flight deck as well as VHF communications capability for all users of controled airspace. The navy has known about this shortcoming for yrs. It seems that every yr or so a spc gets beat up by hail for the reasons described above. I hope it doesn't take one of them falling on a metropolitan area to get a fix for a known problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL SPC TSTM ENCOUNTER AT CRUISE ALT. ACFT DAMAGED BY HAIL.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN OTHERWISE NORMAL SPC FLT ON IFR AIRWAYS. DUE TO THE LACK OF WX RADAR AND THE VERY POOR COMPROMISE SOLUTION OF USING ACFT SURFACE SEARCH RADAR WE WERE 'CLRED' INTO AN AREA WITH AN IMBEDDED DEVELOPING TSTM DETECTED BY OUR ONBOARD RADAR OPERATOR. WE ENCOUNTERED CONSIDERABLE HAIL CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE RADOME AND UNUSUAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS. I FEEL THAT WE WERE LUCKY AND THE EVENT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF ACFT AND CREW. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN OUTSIDE AGENCY UNDERSCORE THE NEED FOR A WX RADAR OPERATED FROM THE FLT DECK AS WELL AS VHF COMS CAPABILITY FOR ALL USERS OF CTLED AIRSPACE. THE NAVY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS SHORTCOMING FOR YRS. IT SEEMS THAT EVERY YR OR SO A SPC GETS BEAT UP BY HAIL FOR THE REASONS DESCRIBED ABOVE. I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE ONE OF THEM FALLING ON A METROPOLITAN AREA TO GET A FIX FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.