Narrative:

The ride on climb out was good with light chop and no precipitation. Departure control approved deviations for WX and we easily avoided the precipitation indicated on radar. We were flying west at the recommended speed for turbulence penetration with anti-ice on. Climbing through about 15000 ft; departure asked us to take a heading toward the southeast (about a 130 degree heading). He indicated that heading would keep us clear of WX and; I assume; expedite the handoff to center. I also assumed his radar was giving him a better bird's eye view of the WX than we had. At that point; the heading he gave us was over our left shoulder and could not be seen by our radar. While turning; it became apparent that it was taking us into a hazardous WX situation. We requested a return to our previous westerly heading and departure gave us a frequency change to ARTCC. By the time our request was approved; and the turn completed; we had penetrated an area of heavy rain with hail and moderate turbulence which lasted for approximately 1 or 2 mins. As a result; the aircraft received hail damage to the nose and leading edges of the wings. Upon arrival; maintenance was notified of the need for an inspection. Later review of our ground track with a radar overlay showed that it was very likely that had we not taken the action to turn; we would have encountered more severe WX than we did. I will probably disregard any future recommendations from controllers unless I have actual knowledge that such a heading will not put us in WX like that again. Supplemental information from acn 812245: accepted a recommended heading from ATC to avoid WX and encountered hail in the process. Aircraft radome and slat damage encountered. No injury to passenger or crew. Remainder of flight uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS ENCOUNTERING THUNDERSTORM AND HAIL AFTER ACCEPTING HEADING FROM DEPARTURE TO AVOID WEATHER.

Narrative: THE RIDE ON CLBOUT WAS GOOD WITH LIGHT CHOP AND NO PRECIP. DEP CTL APPROVED DEVS FOR WX AND WE EASILY AVOIDED THE PRECIP INDICATED ON RADAR. WE WERE FLYING W AT THE RECOMMENDED SPD FOR TURB PENETRATION WITH ANTI-ICE ON. CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 15000 FT; DEP ASKED US TO TAKE A HDG TOWARD THE SE (ABOUT A 130 DEG HDG). HE INDICATED THAT HDG WOULD KEEP US CLEAR OF WX AND; I ASSUME; EXPEDITE THE HDOF TO CTR. I ALSO ASSUMED HIS RADAR WAS GIVING HIM A BETTER BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE WX THAN WE HAD. AT THAT POINT; THE HDG HE GAVE US WAS OVER OUR L SHOULDER AND COULD NOT BE SEEN BY OUR RADAR. WHILE TURNING; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT IT WAS TAKING US INTO A HAZARDOUS WX SITUATION. WE REQUESTED A RETURN TO OUR PREVIOUS WESTERLY HDG AND DEP GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO ARTCC. BY THE TIME OUR REQUEST WAS APPROVED; AND THE TURN COMPLETED; WE HAD PENETRATED AN AREA OF HVY RAIN WITH HAIL AND MODERATE TURB WHICH LASTED FOR APPROX 1 OR 2 MINS. AS A RESULT; THE ACFT RECEIVED HAIL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE AND LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS. UPON ARR; MAINT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE NEED FOR AN INSPECTION. LATER REVIEW OF OUR GND TRACK WITH A RADAR OVERLAY SHOWED THAT IT WAS VERY LIKELY THAT HAD WE NOT TAKEN THE ACTION TO TURN; WE WOULD HAVE ENCOUNTERED MORE SEVERE WX THAN WE DID. I WILL PROBABLY DISREGARD ANY FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CTLRS UNLESS I HAVE ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE THAT SUCH A HDG WILL NOT PUT US IN WX LIKE THAT AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 812245: ACCEPTED A RECOMMENDED HDG FROM ATC TO AVOID WX AND ENCOUNTERED HAIL IN THE PROCESS. ACFT RADOME AND SLAT DAMAGE ENCOUNTERED. NO INJURY TO PAX OR CREW. REMAINDER OF FLT UNEVENTFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.