GA small aircraft is vectored into hail causing minor aircraft damage.

Attributes
ACN	188641
Time
Date	199109
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad tower : ord
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	188641
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While on IFR and IMC, ATC vectored aircraft away from flight plan due to the amount of traffic in the vicinity. Their instructions took aircraft through severe conditions, hail, heavy rain, severe turbulence. This resulted in slight damage to aircraft. Paint blasted from leading edges, fiberglass fairings broken, tail mounted strobe broken, etc. Conditions were not forecasted. Corrective action will be installation of WX avoidance equipment to advise pilot to refuse future clrncs into such conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA IS VECTORED INTO HAIL CAUSING MINOR ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: WHILE ON IFR AND IMC, ATC VECTORED ACFT AWAY FROM FLT PLAN DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TFC IN THE VICINITY. THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TOOK ACFT THROUGH SEVERE CONDITIONS, HAIL, HVY RAIN, SEVERE TURB. THIS RESULTED IN SLIGHT DAMAGE TO ACFT. PAINT BLASTED FROM LEADING EDGES, FIBERGLASS FAIRINGS BROKEN, TAIL MOUNTED STROBE BROKEN, ETC. CONDITIONS WERE NOT FORECASTED. CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE INSTALLATION OF WX AVOIDANCE EQUIP TO ADVISE PLT TO REFUSE FUTURE CLRNCS INTO SUCH CONDITIONS.

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.