Narrative:

I was PIC of a BAE146-100 as flight XXX from den-mke-atw. We pushed back on time at XA15 local, and joined the line-up of aircraft on taxiway M for departure on runway 8 at den. There was a thunderstorm ene of the airport moving ese. Departures were stopped because of the storm. It began to rain, then to hail. The rain and hail lasted several mins. The hail was pea size to perhaps 3/4-1 inch in size. When the thunderstorm moved east and the rain and hail stopped, aircraft abeam of me began to return to their gates. I opened the dv window on my side and inspected the left wing and #1 and #2 engine cowlings and pylons. I could not detect any damage and reasoned that the skin on these cowlings and pylons was as thin as any on the aircraft, and if there was no damage there, the rest of the aircraft would be ok. So, I decided to continue the flight. In mke I did a walkaround inspection and did not see any obvious damage so continued the flight to atw. In atw, I spoke to maintenance control and inquired about the other aircraft in den. When I learned of the damage that they had sustained, I recommended that our aircraft be inspected also. Maintenance found nearly 200 dents on top of the wings. In retrospect, the decision to continue the flight was a bad one. My presumption of no damage to the aircraft based on no damage to the cowlings/ pylons was faulty at best. The cowling surfaces are curved and the hail would strike them with glancing blows, whereas, the wings are flat and would sustain more direct hits making them more susceptible to damage. The decision to continue was not a good idea. There were plenty of hints -- all the aircraft ahead of me returned to the gates, B727, B737, A320, CL65 and BE1900. That should have been a good hint, but no, I tried to continue. I did have nagging doubts on the flight to mke, but by then the damage, so to speak, had been done. I am not a new guy! I am in my 20TH yr at air company. How can I learn to not make such bone-headed decisions? My first officer was a new guy, fresh off IOE, and he trusted my judgement implicitly and I am sure was less likely to question my decision than an older first officer would have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BAE146 OPERATED ACFT AFTER THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED BY LARGE HAIL STONES WHILE HOLDING FOR TKOF AT DENVER FOR A TSTM TO PASS. ALL OTHER ACFT HOLDING RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR AN ACFT INSPECTION FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF A BAE146-100 AS FLT XXX FROM DEN-MKE-ATW. WE PUSHED BACK ON TIME AT XA15 LCL, AND JOINED THE LINE-UP OF ACFT ON TXWY M FOR DEP ON RWY 8 AT DEN. THERE WAS A TSTM ENE OF THE ARPT MOVING ESE. DEPS WERE STOPPED BECAUSE OF THE STORM. IT BEGAN TO RAIN, THEN TO HAIL. THE RAIN AND HAIL LASTED SEVERAL MINS. THE HAIL WAS PEA SIZE TO PERHAPS 3/4-1 INCH IN SIZE. WHEN THE TSTM MOVED E AND THE RAIN AND HAIL STOPPED, ACFT ABEAM OF ME BEGAN TO RETURN TO THEIR GATES. I OPENED THE DV WINDOW ON MY SIDE AND INSPECTED THE L WING AND #1 AND #2 ENG COWLINGS AND PYLONS. I COULD NOT DETECT ANY DAMAGE AND REASONED THAT THE SKIN ON THESE COWLINGS AND PYLONS WAS AS THIN AS ANY ON THE ACFT, AND IF THERE WAS NO DAMAGE THERE, THE REST OF THE ACFT WOULD BE OK. SO, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. IN MKE I DID A WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND DID NOT SEE ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE SO CONTINUED THE FLT TO ATW. IN ATW, I SPOKE TO MAINT CTL AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE OTHER ACFT IN DEN. WHEN I LEARNED OF THE DAMAGE THAT THEY HAD SUSTAINED, I RECOMMENDED THAT OUR ACFT BE INSPECTED ALSO. MAINT FOUND NEARLY 200 DENTS ON TOP OF THE WINGS. IN RETROSPECT, THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLT WAS A BAD ONE. MY PRESUMPTION OF NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT BASED ON NO DAMAGE TO THE COWLINGS/ PYLONS WAS FAULTY AT BEST. THE COWLING SURFACES ARE CURVED AND THE HAIL WOULD STRIKE THEM WITH GLANCING BLOWS, WHEREAS, THE WINGS ARE FLAT AND WOULD SUSTAIN MORE DIRECT HITS MAKING THEM MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE. THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA. THERE WERE PLENTY OF HINTS -- ALL THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME RETURNED TO THE GATES, B727, B737, A320, CL65 AND BE1900. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD HINT, BUT NO, I TRIED TO CONTINUE. I DID HAVE NAGGING DOUBTS ON THE FLT TO MKE, BUT BY THEN THE DAMAGE, SO TO SPEAK, HAD BEEN DONE. I AM NOT A NEW GUY! I AM IN MY 20TH YR AT AIR COMPANY. HOW CAN I LEARN TO NOT MAKE SUCH BONE-HEADED DECISIONS? MY FO WAS A NEW GUY, FRESH OFF IOE, AND HE TRUSTED MY JUDGEMENT IMPLICITLY AND I AM SURE WAS LESS LIKELY TO QUESTION MY DECISION THAN AN OLDER FO WOULD HAVE BEEN.

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.