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B727 flight crew encounters turbulence; ice; hail during departure. Windshield is cracked; emergency declared and aircraft returns for landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 706790 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200608 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zzzz.artcc |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 30000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence Thunderstorm Ice other |
| Light | Dusk |
| 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 | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 706790 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 706784 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
On IFR flight; climbing through FL300; aircraft was in clouds/rain. Radar was not painting any cells; when suddenly turbulence increased dramatically; as did noise from precipitation hitting aircraft. First officer's windshield began to crack; then outer pane shattered. 180 degree turn/descent was initiated; emergency was declared; returned to ZZZZ. After landing; we saw a hole in radome the size of a football; all leading edges dented. Both inboard landing lights smashed. ATC had told us the worse of it was behind us; radar was not painting anything. Don't know how we could have avoided it.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS TURB; ICE; HAIL DURING DEP. WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED; EMER DECLARED AND ACFT RETURNS FOR LNDG.
Narrative: ON IFR FLT; CLBING THROUGH FL300; ACFT WAS IN CLOUDS/RAIN. RADAR WAS NOT PAINTING ANY CELLS; WHEN SUDDENLY TURB INCREASED DRAMATICALLY; AS DID NOISE FROM PRECIP HITTING ACFT. FO'S WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO CRACK; THEN OUTER PANE SHATTERED. 180 DEG TURN/DSCNT WAS INITIATED; EMER WAS DECLARED; RETURNED TO ZZZZ. AFTER LNDG; WE SAW A HOLE IN RADOME THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL; ALL LEADING EDGES DENTED. BOTH INBOARD LNDG LIGHTS SMASHED. ATC HAD TOLD US THE WORSE OF IT WAS BEHIND US; RADAR WAS NOT PAINTING ANYTHING. DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED IT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.