SAS MD-81 damaged by hail (picture)...
 

http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2001/07/25/271074.html

This link is to a page (norwegian language) containing a picture of the nose of a SAS MD-81 that encountered severe hail at 15000 feet over Finland. The plane had 63 people onboard and made an emergency landing at Helsinki airport. The aircraft also got big dents in the wings. No engine trouble is reported. The crew wasn't prepared for/able to avoid the hail because they didn't have the weatherradar on, which supposedly isn't required when the weatherforecast is good (which it was, before the suprise hail was encountered) to minimize pilot workload and wear on the system. (Information taken from various newspaperwebsites.)

[ 25 July 2001: Message edited by: Dash8100 ]

For some 10 days now an Air Transat 1011 with a similar looking radome has been parked in LYS. Outer pane in the center windshields are shattered and partially gone. The leading edges and intakes are severely dented but strangely the no 1 and 3 fans doesn't seem to be damaged at all.

[ 25 July 2001: Message edited by: dusk2dawn ]

The same happened to a DC10 From Gemini aircargo a couple of weeks ago.

What is happening up there???

Reliable source tells me that LYS a/c is scrap. (Don't tell the guvnor!)

Weather radar is not a reliable tool for detecting hailshafts..

ironbutt57...reading 'stating the bleeding obvious'.... :D

My experience shows that WX radar tends to become very unreliable after it has been turned off. :rolleyes:

I operated into HEL that day and they were nice and RED on our Wx radar. Arrived ten minutes late because we went round the houses to avoid it.
They weren't embedded so why the crew didn't have their radar on, is curious.

Probably guys have had a dinner...