Narrative:

On descent into destination area, after a 12 hour flight from tokyo, a significant line of thunderstorms developed between our position and that of the arrival routing and destination (ewr). After carefully scanning the area with onboard WX radar, and coordinating with ATC for other deviations, we attempted to circumvent the worst of the thunderstorms. However, we still managed to encounter moderate turbulence and heavy precipitation and hail. Lightning was also present close by. (Get homeitis was not a factor, as all of our commuter flts had already departed.) we flew out the back side of the WX, and were vectored for a normal approach and landing. We notified maintenance of the incident, and made a logbook write-up, detailing the circumstances and particulars of the event. No matter how good your radar and how good your plan (shortest route through), you can still get hammered near a thunderstorm. Supplemental information from acn 473352: the radar indicated the best path through the line to be a more southeasterly heading, which we requested and received from center. As we proceeded south, the line intensified and we were forced to stay on the west side of the line of WX. We encountered light to moderate rain and light to occasional moderate turbulence, but we were being engulfed by the line of WX. At this time, I elected to request a turn to the east which appeared to be the shortest route out of the line of WX. The crew agreed, as our options were rapidly decreasing. The radar showed no increased intensity along the requested route greater than what we were already in. Another aircraft had just reported that he was out of the turbulence having just come through on the east side of the WX. The radar indicated a clear area just a few mi to the east. We requested and received clearance to the east. Shortly after establishing our heading, we encountered heavy hail for about 1 min in duration, the estimation of time at that point is very difficult. Turbulence was moderate until we popped out of the WX. Then we experienced an increase in altitude of about 1000 ft and loss of about 40 KTS of airspeed. Once we were on the back side of the WX we experienced only light turbulence and light rain showers. We landed uneventfully at ewr. In retrospect, we should have gone further north above albany and gotten on the east side of the line. I was not sure how far east we would have had to go. My concern was that the WX was moving east and would have been chasing us as we came back down the front side of the line. The line was changing and moving very fast. Hindsight is not a tool we have to work with in real time. ATC has little or no WX radar. Although they were as helpful as possible, and did a wonderful job, they are very limited when WX is a factor. Supplemental information from acn 473367: descending for arrival into ewr, we encountered a line of heavy WX northwest of ewr. We proceeded avoidance of the line and tried to pick our way through an opening. We ended up at 14000 ft in solid red on the radar. ATC wasn't showing anything. ATC didn't want us to deviate any further to the south, so the shortest route out was due east, about 10 mi. We turned and encountered severe turbulence, rain, and hail, approximately 4-5 mins. Lost 40 KTS of airspeed and climbed to 15000 ft. Aircraft nose was damaged. No one was hurt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX AND TURB ENCOUNTER N OF EWR, NJ, RESULTS IN ALT EXCURSION AND ACFT DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES INCURRED.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO DEST AREA, AFTER A 12 HR FLT FROM TOKYO, A SIGNIFICANT LINE OF TSTMS DEVELOPED BTWN OUR POS AND THAT OF THE ARR ROUTING AND DEST (EWR). AFTER CAREFULLY SCANNING THE AREA WITH ONBOARD WX RADAR, AND COORDINATING WITH ATC FOR OTHER DEVS, WE ATTEMPTED TO CIRCUMVENT THE WORST OF THE TSTMS. HOWEVER, WE STILL MANAGED TO ENCOUNTER MODERATE TURB AND HVY PRECIP AND HAIL. LIGHTNING WAS ALSO PRESENT CLOSE BY. (GET HOMEITIS WAS NOT A FACTOR, AS ALL OF OUR COMMUTER FLTS HAD ALREADY DEPARTED.) WE FLEW OUT THE BACK SIDE OF THE WX, AND WERE VECTORED FOR A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. WE NOTIFIED MAINT OF THE INCIDENT, AND MADE A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP, DETAILING THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND PARTICULARS OF THE EVENT. NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR RADAR AND HOW GOOD YOUR PLAN (SHORTEST RTE THROUGH), YOU CAN STILL GET HAMMERED NEAR A TSTM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473352: THE RADAR INDICATED THE BEST PATH THROUGH THE LINE TO BE A MORE SOUTHEASTERLY HDG, WHICH WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FROM CTR. AS WE PROCEEDED S, THE LINE INTENSIFIED AND WE WERE FORCED TO STAY ON THE W SIDE OF THE LINE OF WX. WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB, BUT WE WERE BEING ENGULFED BY THE LINE OF WX. AT THIS TIME, I ELECTED TO REQUEST A TURN TO THE E WHICH APPEARED TO BE THE SHORTEST RTE OUT OF THE LINE OF WX. THE CREW AGREED, AS OUR OPTIONS WERE RAPIDLY DECREASING. THE RADAR SHOWED NO INCREASED INTENSITY ALONG THE REQUESTED RTE GREATER THAN WHAT WE WERE ALREADY IN. ANOTHER ACFT HAD JUST RPTED THAT HE WAS OUT OF THE TURB HAVING JUST COME THROUGH ON THE E SIDE OF THE WX. THE RADAR INDICATED A CLR AREA JUST A FEW MI TO THE E. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO THE E. SHORTLY AFTER ESTABLISHING OUR HDG, WE ENCOUNTERED HVY HAIL FOR ABOUT 1 MIN IN DURATION, THE ESTIMATION OF TIME AT THAT POINT IS VERY DIFFICULT. TURB WAS MODERATE UNTIL WE POPPED OUT OF THE WX. THEN WE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE IN ALT OF ABOUT 1000 FT AND LOSS OF ABOUT 40 KTS OF AIRSPD. ONCE WE WERE ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE WX WE EXPERIENCED ONLY LIGHT TURB AND LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT EWR. IN RETROSPECT, WE SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER N ABOVE ALBANY AND GOTTEN ON THE E SIDE OF THE LINE. I WAS NOT SURE HOW FAR E WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO GO. MY CONCERN WAS THAT THE WX WAS MOVING E AND WOULD HAVE BEEN CHASING US AS WE CAME BACK DOWN THE FRONT SIDE OF THE LINE. THE LINE WAS CHANGING AND MOVING VERY FAST. HINDSIGHT IS NOT A TOOL WE HAVE TO WORK WITH IN REAL TIME. ATC HAS LITTLE OR NO WX RADAR. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE, AND DID A WONDERFUL JOB, THEY ARE VERY LIMITED WHEN WX IS A FACTOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473367: DSNDING FOR ARR INTO EWR, WE ENCOUNTERED A LINE OF HVY WX NW OF EWR. WE PROCEEDED AVOIDANCE OF THE LINE AND TRIED TO PICK OUR WAY THROUGH AN OPENING. WE ENDED UP AT 14000 FT IN SOLID RED ON THE RADAR. ATC WASN'T SHOWING ANYTHING. ATC DIDN'T WANT US TO DEVIATE ANY FURTHER TO THE S, SO THE SHORTEST RTE OUT WAS DUE E, ABOUT 10 MI. WE TURNED AND ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB, RAIN, AND HAIL, APPROX 4-5 MINS. LOST 40 KTS OF AIRSPD AND CLBED TO 15000 FT. ACFT NOSE WAS DAMAGED. NO ONE WAS HURT.

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.