ACR WDB ENCOUNTERED A SAND CLOUD DURING DSCNT INTO CAI THAT RESULTED IN AN ENG FLAME OUT AND OTHER ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative

FLT APCHING CAIRO WAS CLRED TO DSND FROM FL330 TO FL120. AN AREA OF ISOLATED EMBEDDED CBS WAS BEING PASSED. ACFT HAD BEEN SLOWED TO TURB PENETRATION SPD AND WAS DEVIATING AROUND CBS ON DSCNT WITH GOOD RADAR RETURNS RECEIVED. AT FL180 AN AREA OF MILD PRECIP SHOWED ON RADAR NOT UNLIKE GND CLUTTER; IT WOULD NOT CONTOUR. RAIN INCREASED IN INTENSITY FOLLOWED BY A VERY BROWN SUBSTANCE WHICH APPEARED TO BE WET SAND. THE WINDSHIELDS WERE DAMAGED #2 ENG FLAMED OUT AND THE 'PULL UP' SIGNAL OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE TIME IN THE HVY RAIN/SAND WAS VERY SHORT; THERE WAS LESS THAN MODERATE TURB; THE INTENSITY OF THE DELUGE WAS CONSIDERABLE. LIGHTNING WAS OBSERVED AT THIS TIME TO THE L OF THE ACFT BUT AT SOME DISTANCE. AFTER FLYING THROUGH THE SAND CLOUD THE ACFT CONTINUED TO CAIRO ARPT AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. MY MAIN CONCERN WAS THE LACK OF ADEQUATE RETURN FROM A PERFECTLY GOOD RADAR AND THE HAZARD INVOLVED IN FLT THROUGH WET SAND. MY CREW PERFORMED IN A COOL PROFESSIONAL MANNER. THE RADOME WAS DAMAGED; THE LNDG LIGHT LENSES BROWN OUT AND THE WINDSHIELDS PARTLY CRAZED OVER; ALL THE STATIC NICKS WERE ALSO MISSING.