Narrative:

Location: over txo. This flight began like any other with an uneventful climb to altitude and cruise. While southwest of abq we were cleared direct to txo from our climb out from phx. We encountered IMC and were painting excellent returns on several cells well to the south of our intended route. As we approached the abq area, we were directly following 20 mi in trail of an air carrier X flight that was also flying eastbound and cleared direct to txo. Suddenly, and without warning, as we passed directly over txo, we encountered severe turbulence and small hail. The autoplt fell off line and I was only able to hold +/-400 ft. We asked for an immediate clearance to a higher altitude, and I began to take the climb without ATC approval. We did, however, receive a climb clearance almost immediately after reporting the encounter with ATC. The encounter with the severe turbulence and hail lasted approximately 15- 30 seconds. I asked for a report from the cabin, where I learned that since I had made an earlier PA about the potential for chop, all passenger were in their seats with their seatbelts fastened. (The seat belt sign had been on since entering IMC some 15 mins earlier.) however, the flight attendants were finishing a beverage service and a flight attendant reported that she had sprained her ankle. About 1 min after the incident, the controller reported that he was beginning to see returns on his radar over txo. While I was on the phone to dfw dispatch, making the required severe turbulence report and requesting assistance for the injured flight attendant, he informed me that in the past min he had begun to see returns from a new cell over txo as well. Upon landing, we discovered that we indeed had had an encounter with hail, as the radome was destroyed by impact damage. There were also a few hail dings on leading edges of both wings. According to the air carrier aircraft record the aircraft was inspected for severe turbulence and returned to service after spending the night in dfw for repairs including a radome change and the logging of the dings into the aircraft data log. No other damage is noted in the aircraft record. I'm truly stunned by this incident and it has shaken my faith in onboard radar. There was absolutely nothing painting at our 12 O'clock position, with the radar on the 80 mi range and a 0.3 positive angle set on the azimuth. Another aircraft had just flown the exact route only 3 mins earlier. Perhaps we would have seen the growing cell if the radar had been pointed down, but since this cell was just breaking into the 30's, this would have required us to aim the radar zone significantly enough to disable our ability to see more than 20 mi in front.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD SUPER 80 CLBED IN ATTEMPT TO AVOID FURTHER SEVERE TURB AND HAIL STONES. 1 FLT ATTENDANT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE ACFT RADOME WAS DESTROYED BY HAIL.

Narrative: LOCATION: OVER TXO. THIS FLT BEGAN LIKE ANY OTHER WITH AN UNEVENTFUL CLB TO ALT AND CRUISE. WHILE SW OF ABQ WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO TXO FROM OUR CLBOUT FROM PHX. WE ENCOUNTERED IMC AND WERE PAINTING EXCELLENT RETURNS ON SEVERAL CELLS WELL TO THE S OF OUR INTENDED RTE. AS WE APCHED THE ABQ AREA, WE WERE DIRECTLY FOLLOWING 20 MI IN TRAIL OF AN ACR X FLT THAT WAS ALSO FLYING EBOUND AND CLRED DIRECT TO TXO. SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING, AS WE PASSED DIRECTLY OVER TXO, WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND SMALL HAIL. THE AUTOPLT FELL OFF LINE AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO HOLD +/-400 FT. WE ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC TO A HIGHER ALT, AND I BEGAN TO TAKE THE CLB WITHOUT ATC APPROVAL. WE DID, HOWEVER, RECEIVE A CLB CLRNC ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER RPTING THE ENCOUNTER WITH ATC. THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SEVERE TURB AND HAIL LASTED APPROX 15- 30 SECONDS. I ASKED FOR A RPT FROM THE CABIN, WHERE I LEARNED THAT SINCE I HAD MADE AN EARLIER PA ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR CHOP, ALL PAX WERE IN THEIR SEATS WITH THEIR SEATBELTS FASTENED. (THE SEAT BELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON SINCE ENTERING IMC SOME 15 MINS EARLIER.) HOWEVER, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE FINISHING A BEVERAGE SVC AND A FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT SHE HAD SPRAINED HER ANKLE. ABOUT 1 MIN AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE CTLR RPTED THAT HE WAS BEGINNING TO SEE RETURNS ON HIS RADAR OVER TXO. WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE TO DFW DISPATCH, MAKING THE REQUIRED SEVERE TURB RPT AND REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FOR THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT, HE INFORMED ME THAT IN THE PAST MIN HE HAD BEGUN TO SEE RETURNS FROM A NEW CELL OVER TXO AS WELL. UPON LNDG, WE DISCOVERED THAT WE INDEED HAD HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH HAIL, AS THE RADOME WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT DAMAGE. THERE WERE ALSO A FEW HAIL DINGS ON LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS. ACCORDING TO THE ACR ACFT RECORD THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED FOR SEVERE TURB AND RETURNED TO SVC AFTER SPENDING THE NIGHT IN DFW FOR REPAIRS INCLUDING A RADOME CHANGE AND THE LOGGING OF THE DINGS INTO THE ACFT DATA LOG. NO OTHER DAMAGE IS NOTED IN THE ACFT RECORD. I'M TRULY STUNNED BY THIS INCIDENT AND IT HAS SHAKEN MY FAITH IN ONBOARD RADAR. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PAINTING AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, WITH THE RADAR ON THE 80 MI RANGE AND A 0.3 POSITIVE ANGLE SET ON THE AZIMUTH. ANOTHER ACFT HAD JUST FLOWN THE EXACT RTE ONLY 3 MINS EARLIER. PERHAPS WE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE GROWING CELL IF THE RADAR HAD BEEN POINTED DOWN, BUT SINCE THIS CELL WAS JUST BREAKING INTO THE 30'S, THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED US TO AIM THE RADAR ZONE SIGNIFICANTLY ENOUGH TO DISABLE OUR ABILITY TO SEE MORE THAN 20 MI IN FRONT.

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.