AN MLG ACFT ON GND HOLD FOR PASSING WX WAS HIT WITH HAIL. FLC TAXIED BACK TO RAMP WHERE THEY HAD CONTRACT MAINT CHK THE ACFT. THEY RPTED IT OK; BUT WHEN FLC HAD THEIR OWN ACR MAINT CHK THEY FOUND EXTENSIVE DENTS IN SPOILERS AND AILERON PANELS.

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WHILE WE WERE PREPARING TO LEAVE THE GATE AT MSP; WE WERE TOLD OF A LINE OF TSTMS 20 MI S OF THE FIELD AND HEADED IN OUR DIRECTION. WE ATTEMPTED TO SPD UP OUR DEP TO GET OUT AHEAD OF THE STORMS; BUT WERE STILL ABOUT #8 FOR DEP WHEN ALL DEPS WERE HALTED. AS WE SAT ON THE TXWY BY RWY 22; A TSTM CAME DIRECTLY OVER THE FIELD AND WE WERE PELTED WITH HAIL FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR AN INSPECTION TO SEE IF ANY DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE. CONTRACT MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT IN ACCORDANCE WITH A FAX SENT TO THEM BY OUR AIRLINE'S MAINT CTL. WE (THEY) FOUND NO DAMAGE AND RELEASED US TO CONTINUE OUR FLT. ENRTE TO OUR DEST (PHX) OUR JUMP SEAT RIDER (WHO WAS SITTING IN THE CABIN) ADVISED US HE THOUGHT HE SAW SEVERAL DENTS IN OUR SPOILER PANELS. ON ARR IN PHX; WE HAD OUR ACFT REINSPECTED BY OUR OWN MAINT PEOPLE. THEY FOUND DAMAGE TO BOTH OF OUR AILERONS AND MOST OF OUR SPOILER PANELS; AND TOOK THE ACFT OTS. 2 THINGS WORRY ME ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. ONE IS THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY TRUST CONTRACT MAINT TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN A SIT LIKE THIS. THE OTHER IS THAT OF THE 8 ACFT WAITING FOR TKOF WHEN THE HAILSTORM HIT; ONLY 3 OF US WENT BACK TO THE GATE FOR INSPECTIONS. I WONDER WHAT THE OTHER 5 FOUND WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT INSPECTED?