flying through hail

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Mar 3, 2016
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Cincinnati, OH and Port Charlotte, FL
We had the dubious pleasure of flying Allegiant into Punta Gorda last Saturday evening and flew through some hail on our descent. That was LOUD and is the first time I'd flown through hail. On a side note, we were on ship 246, a 3 year old A320-214 that was also the first brand new plane Allegiant had ever bought. MUCH nicer than the tired old ship 275 we flew home on...
 
In November of 1979, I took off as a passenger in a 727 from an airport at 6200 ft above sea level, to climb steeply over the 13,000 foot pass. We immediately went into a hail storm, and it sounded like we were inside a snare drum.

All three engines were knocked out, and we glided through the clouds, in quiet panic. After a couple of minutes of gliding (as much as a 727 can), one engine caught, then another, and finally the third. The pilot put it into an upward spiral in the space he thought he had between the mountains until he got over the clouds and mountain.

They diverted the flight to the closest airport and we deplaned (9000 ft above sea level). There was no longer any paint on the plane. Just clean aluminum. They brought some mechanics from their hub, looked over the plane, and we got back on board to continue our flight.
 
Originally Posted by CincyDavid
I would have needed a few more vodkas to continue the flight on that 727...

As well as a clean pair of underwear.
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'
Originally Posted by widman
In November of 1979, I took off as a passenger in a 727 from an airport at 6200 ft above sea level, to climb steeply over the 13,000 foot pass. We immediately went into a hail storm, and it sounded like we were inside a snare drum.

All three engines were knocked out, and we glided through the clouds, in quiet panic. After a couple of minutes of gliding (as much as a 727 can), one engine caught, then another, and finally the third. The pilot put it into an upward spiral in the space he thought he had between the mountains until he got over the clouds and mountain.

They diverted the flight to the closest airport and we deplaned (9000 ft above sea level). There was no longer any paint on the plane. Just clean aluminum. They brought some mechanics from their hub, looked over the plane, and we got back on board to continue our flight.




I would have thought the had figured it out by then. After that 727 got knocked down at altitude in 1977over NC by hail. Pilots lost everything including front vision. The hail starred the windscreen almost completely . They caught half a break finding a country road. Unfortunately it slid right into a gas station blew up killed a car load of kids broke in half and ended up in some woman's back yard burning.
I went out a couple times with a girl who had been on that plane. She was one of a group army personnel changing duty stations and was sitting in the back. Any loud noise and she came out of her skin. She just mentioned it after one episode and I let it drop being polite. I think she blanked out most of it because her quick version was rain forcing them t land on the highway and the hit a pole. I can see why she blanked out the worst of it.
I this day and age your smartphone is better than a 70s stormscope though a bit slower. How anybody a get caught in hail today is beyond me. Even an ultra light can outrun a thunderstorm. All you have to do is turn around and go the other way. No plane has any business anywhere near a storm cell.
 
Originally Posted by widman
In November of 1979, I took off as a passenger in a 727 from an airport at 6200 ft above sea level, to climb steeply over the 13,000 foot pass. We immediately went into a hail storm, and it sounded like we were inside a snare drum.

All three engines were knocked out, and we glided through the clouds, in quiet panic. After a couple of minutes of gliding (as much as a 727 can), one engine caught, then another, and finally the third. The pilot put it into an upward spiral in the space he thought he had between the mountains until he got over the clouds and mountain.

They diverted the flight to the closest airport and we deplaned (9000 ft above sea level). There was no longer any paint on the plane. Just clean aluminum. They brought some mechanics from their hub, looked over the plane, and we got back on board to continue our flight.


Unbelievable!
 
I remember once flying ATL-SAN on Delta 757. We went through the edge of Hurricane. There was no hail etc. but I felt sorry for people who needed to clean interior of the plane.
 
GE does their bird strike testing in Peebles Ohio, east of Cincinnati. Apparently they can't do testing if there is ANY precipitation because it messes up the camera resolution, so they spend a lot of time sitting around waiting for conditions to be right. I'm told the staff used to keep shotguns in their cars and go hunting on the grounds when conditions were not good for testing, but that management frowns upon that sort of thing anymore.
 
Originally Posted by CincyDavid
GE does their bird strike testing in Peebles Ohio, east of Cincinnati. Apparently they can't do testing if there is ANY precipitation because it messes up the camera resolution, so they spend a lot of time sitting around waiting for conditions to be right. I'm told the staff used to keep shotguns in their cars and go hunting on the grounds when conditions were not good for testing, but that management frowns upon that sort of thing anymore.

They should move to Colorado Springs. Could have natural hail, literally all the time between May and July
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Hail is a big no-no with any plane, even parked. For the most part hail is associated with thunderstorms, avoid them.
 
Hail can be drafted upwards and hurled out the top of a thunderstorm. As a result, it can be encountered miles from a thunderstorm. Simple avoiding thunderstorms may not necessarily avoid hail.
 
Originally Posted by 72te27
Hail can be drafted upwards and hurled out the top of a thunderstorm. As a result, it can be encountered miles from a thunderstorm. Simple avoiding thunderstorms may not necessarily avoid hail.



If its forming one of those flat top anvil shaped cumulonimbus like you see in afternoons in the summer that anvil will give a good indication where the hail is being flung. It 🤞🻠Should be getting spit off the long end.......in theory. Trouble is thunder storms though somewhat predictable sometimes have a mind of their own. Most folks get dead trying to sneak between 2 or more and get boxed in.
I seem to recall Scott Crossfield the guy who set the speed record with the X-15 in the mid 60's got killed by just such a storm. ATC ran him right into it. Imagine, the guy that flew the hottest ships in the inventory getting whacked in a 172. If he couldn't pull it off nobody can.
 
Originally Posted by Driz
Originally Posted by 72te27
Hail can be drafted upwards and hurled out the top of a thunderstorm. As a result, it can be encountered miles from a thunderstorm. Simple avoiding thunderstorms may not necessarily avoid hail.



If its forming one of those flat top anvil shaped cumulonimbus like you see in afternoons in the summer that anvil will give a good indication where the hail is being flung. It 🤞🻠Should be getting spit off the long end.......in theory. Trouble is thunder storms though somewhat predictable sometimes have a mind of their own. Most folks get dead trying to sneak between 2 or more and get boxed in.
I seem to recall Scott Crossfield the guy who set the speed record with the X-15 in the mid 60's got killed by just such a storm. ATC ran him right into it. Imagine, the guy that flew the hottest ships in the inventory getting whacked in a 172. If he couldn't pull it off nobody can.

My late friend flew with MIG21 through one. Hail stripped all paint, markings, flags etc. from the plane.
 
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