ACFT DAMAGED AFTER INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB AND HAIL ASSOCIATED WITH TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative

ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM DFW TO MCI; WX WAS RPTED AT MCI. WE WERE ARRIVING VIA THE S ARR OVER CHANUTE; KS. AT THE ARR TIME ON MCI APCH; THE FIELD WAS NO LONGER ACCEPTING APCHS. WE WERE AT 11000 FT AND SENT TO HOLD 15 DME S OF NAPOLEON VOR. WE HAD APPROX 1 PLUS 25 HRS (TOTAL 18500 POUNDS) OF HOLDING FUEL BEFORE WE HAD TO DIVERT USING STL AS ALTERNATE. AFTER HOLDING 25-30 MINS; WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE FIELD WAS CLRING RAPIDLY BY TWR. APCH ADVISED AND WE CONFIRMED BY RADAR AN AREA OF ABOUT 30 MI WIDE WITH MINIMAL RETURNS NW OF OUR POS THAT WOULD ALLOW A TRANSIT TO THE NW OF MCI ARPT AND ALLOW AN APCH TO RWY 19R. WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS AT THE TIME AND CLBED TO 17000 FT TO CLR SOME BUILDUPS. AS WE TRANSITED WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO 21000 FT. WE STARTED ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TURB AND SEVERE INTERVALS BEFORE WE EVEN DETECTED ANYTHING CLOSE AHEAD ON RADAR. WE ELECTED TO TURN L AND DEPART ON A 150 DEG HDG. DURING THE TURN WE ENCOUNTERED WAVES OF TURB. HVY RAIN AND HAIL. WE BROKE BACK OUT INTO THE CLR AFTER DSNDING TO 15000 FT SE OF MCI. AIRSPD WAS 250-270 DURING THE WHOLE TIME. THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED 2 TIMES AND THE LAST HALF OF THE TURN AND EXIT WAS HAND FLOWN. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH APCH AS TO THE CHAIN OF EVENTS; A VISUAL CLR AREA (GND CONTACT) WAS SIGHTED SW OF OUR POS. THIS AREA WAS TRANSITED VISUALLY WHILE DSNDING TO 6000 MSL THEN 3000 MSL OVER TOPEKA; KS; AND VFR TO KANSAS CITY INTL FOR AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH TO 19R. POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE ACFT RADOME. EXCEPT FOR MOTION SICKNESS; NO PAX COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED AT THAT TIME. LESSON LEARNED: 1) STAY FARTHER AWAY FROM STORMS THAT ARE STILL BUILDING. 2) ENSURE LARGER ESCAPE PATH. 3) TAKE THE LONG WAY AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 220332: APCH CTL NOTED THERE WAS AN AREA THAT WAS CLRING TO THE NW OF OUR POS. WE ENTERED THE AREA THAT ON OUR RADAR LOOKED LIKE LIGHT RAIN. IF THIS SITUATION COMES UP AGAIN; I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HAD MORE THAN 20 MI ON EITHER SIDE; BECAUSE ONCE WE MADE THE TURN; WE CAME JUST THAT MUCH CLOSER TO THE CELL. MAYBE THAT'S WHY WE ENCOUNTERED THE HAIL DAMAGE.