A B737-400 flight crew flies too close to a thunderstorm during a north departure from sea. Aircraft...

Attributes
ACN	376651
Time
Date	199708
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	376651
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	376498
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

A thunderstorm was reported approximately 15 NM north of the city of seattle. We had a visual on the storm and also aircraft radar showed the storm. The first officer and I talked about different plans of action to go around the storm and told the flight attendants to remain seated on the climb out, in case of turbulence. We were approximately the 10TH aircraft to depart to the north. Our route on the map display showed us remaining clear of the storm plus the WX to the west was clear and our departure route takes us out to the west. Right after takeoff and switching to departure control, we were told that a company aircraft that was #2 in front of us was in heavy rain and no turbulence. As we started our turn to the west climbing approximately out of 6000 ft, we encountered hail in VMC conditions. The first officer continued to turn left off of our departure route and I advised departure control that we were turning off course for WX 'we had encountered heavy hail.' the hail lasted for approximately 7 seconds. After clearing the hail, we rejoined our route. The first officer and I checked the aircraft engines and system and everything appeared normal. We also checked the leading edges of the wings and they looked ok. The flight attendants had nothing unusual to report. There was no turbulence at all during this entire event. The first officer and I decided to continue to our destination, ketchikan, ak. Upon the preflight inspection on the ketchikan ramp the first officer discovered both retractable landing lights were broken and the horizontal stabilizers had several dents. The aircraft was held over there for maintenance repair to the lights and horizontal stabilizer and leading edge of vertical tail. I feel that we did everything possible. Next time I'll give a wider berth. I never thought that would have happened in our area and being in VMC conditions all of the time. I assume the thunderstorm threw hail out from the top over onto us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 FLC FLIES TOO CLOSE TO A TSTM DURING A N DEP FROM SEA. ACFT ENCOUNTERS HAIL 5 MI FROM THE STORM. DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION AT DEST ARPT THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE.

Narrative: A TSTM WAS RPTED APPROX 15 NM N OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE. WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE STORM AND ALSO ACFT RADAR SHOWED THE STORM. THE FO AND I TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT PLANS OF ACTION TO GO AROUND THE STORM AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN SEATED ON THE CLBOUT, IN CASE OF TURB. WE WERE APPROX THE 10TH ACFT TO DEPART TO THE N. OUR RTE ON THE MAP DISPLAY SHOWED US REMAINING CLR OF THE STORM PLUS THE WX TO THE W WAS CLR AND OUR DEP RTE TAKES US OUT TO THE W. RIGHT AFTER TKOF AND SWITCHING TO DEP CTL, WE WERE TOLD THAT A COMPANY ACFT THAT WAS #2 IN FRONT OF US WAS IN HVY RAIN AND NO TURB. AS WE STARTED OUR TURN TO THE W CLBING APPROX OUT OF 6000 FT, WE ENCOUNTERED HAIL IN VMC CONDITIONS. THE FO CONTINUED TO TURN L OFF OF OUR DEP RTE AND I ADVISED DEP CTL THAT WE WERE TURNING OFF COURSE FOR WX 'WE HAD ENCOUNTERED HVY HAIL.' THE HAIL LASTED FOR APPROX 7 SECONDS. AFTER CLRING THE HAIL, WE REJOINED OUR RTE. THE FO AND I CHKED THE ACFT ENGS AND SYS AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. WE ALSO CHKED THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS AND THEY LOOKED OK. THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOTHING UNUSUAL TO RPT. THERE WAS NO TURB AT ALL DURING THIS ENTIRE EVENT. THE FO AND I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO OUR DEST, KETCHIKAN, AK. UPON THE PREFLT INSPECTION ON THE KETCHIKAN RAMP THE FO DISCOVERED BOTH RETRACTABLE LNDG LIGHTS WERE BROKEN AND THE HORIZ STABILIZERS HAD SEVERAL DENTS. THE ACFT WAS HELD OVER THERE FOR MAINT REPAIR TO THE LIGHTS AND HORIZ STABILIZER AND LEADING EDGE OF VERT TAIL. I FEEL THAT WE DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. NEXT TIME I'LL GIVE A WIDER BERTH. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR AREA AND BEING IN VMC CONDITIONS ALL OF THE TIME. I ASSUME THE TSTM THREW HAIL OUT FROM THE TOP OVER ONTO US.

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.

A B737-400 flight crew flies too close to a thunderstorm during a north departure from sea. Aircraft encounters hail 5 mi from the storm. During postflt inspection at destination airport the aircraft was found to have sustained damage.