B-727 suffers aircraft damage, in-flight encounter with hail on departure procedure. Climbing traffi...

Attributes
ACN	271044
Time
Date	199405
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mex
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : mmex
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 680
ASRS Report	271044
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On climb out of mexico city aircraft encountered hail while IMC, which resulted in substantial damage to aircraft. Aircraft damage was not discovered until arrival at destination (dfw). Captain was flying the aircraft. The radar was not on as the WX was not perceived to be bad, and it was thought the WX could be visually avoided. We had flown through the 'same' WX approximately 2 hours earlier on our arrival into mexico city, and there was no 'noteworthy' WX. Hail was encountered climbing through approximately 18000 ft in IMC conditions and lasted approximately 2 mins. WX radar should have been on and the cell avoided. Once encountered, course was maintained, airspeed was reduced from 250 KTS to 230 KTS, and the aircraft exited the area of hail approximately 2 mins later. Substantial damage to aircraft radome, leading edges of wings and horizontal stabs was not discovered until postflt walk around.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-727 SUFFERS ACFT DAMAGE, INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH HAIL ON DEP PROC. CLBING TFC.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT OF MEXICO CITY ACFT ENCOUNTERED HAIL WHILE IMC, WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ACFT. ACFT DAMAGE WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL ARR AT DEST (DFW). CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. THE RADAR WAS NOT ON AS THE WX WAS NOT PERCEIVED TO BE BAD, AND IT WAS THOUGHT THE WX COULD BE VISUALLY AVOIDED. WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE 'SAME' WX APPROX 2 HRS EARLIER ON OUR ARR INTO MEXICO CITY, AND THERE WAS NO 'NOTEWORTHY' WX. HAIL WAS ENCOUNTERED CLBING THROUGH APPROX 18000 FT IN IMC CONDITIONS AND LASTED APPROX 2 MINS. WX RADAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON AND THE CELL AVOIDED. ONCE ENCOUNTERED, COURSE WAS MAINTAINED, AIRSPD WAS REDUCED FROM 250 KTS TO 230 KTS, AND THE ACFT EXITED THE AREA OF HAIL APPROX 2 MINS LATER. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ACFT RADOME, LEADING EDGES OF WINGS AND HORIZ STABS WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL POSTFLT WALK AROUND.

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.

B-727 suffers aircraft damage, in-flight encounter with hail on departure procedure. Climbing traffic.