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Air carrier large transport damaged by heavy rain and hail during leveloff at intermediate altitude during descent.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 474275 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200005 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rdu.airport |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl single value : 22000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Rain other |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 474275 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 474270 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : acft noise other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
During descent into iad from FL350 we entered an overcast layer beginning at FL230 and leveled at FL220. We encountered rain and turned on the radar. Within seconds we flew into severe rain which lasted less than 20 seconds. The noise was deafening and the aircraft maintained altitude and airspeed increased from 300 KTS to 315 KTS. In the descent there were no visible thunderstorms protruding from the level overcast at FL230 and no reports from other aircraft to deviate. When the radar came up there was a radar echo 30 mi east of our position. Upon postflt inspection damage occurred to the radome left and right engine nose spinners and the lower anti-collision light was broken.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LGT DAMAGED BY HVY RAIN AND HAIL DURING LEVELOFF AT INTERMEDIATE ALT DURING DSCNT.
Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO IAD FROM FL350 WE ENTERED AN OVCST LAYER BEGINNING AT FL230 AND LEVELED AT FL220. WE ENCOUNTERED RAIN AND TURNED ON THE RADAR. WITHIN SECONDS WE FLEW INTO SEVERE RAIN WHICH LASTED LESS THAN 20 SECONDS. THE NOISE WAS DEAFENING AND THE ACFT MAINTAINED ALT AND AIRSPD INCREASED FROM 300 KTS TO 315 KTS. IN THE DSCNT THERE WERE NO VISIBLE TSTMS PROTRUDING FROM THE LEVEL OVCST AT FL230 AND NO RPTS FROM OTHER ACFT TO DEVIATE. WHEN THE RADAR CAME UP THERE WAS A RADAR ECHO 30 MI E OF OUR POS. UPON POSTFLT INSPECTION DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE RADOME L AND R ENG NOSE SPINNERS AND THE LOWER ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT WAS BROKEN.
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.