A B727-200 ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WX AND TURB. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND ACFT RETURNED TO LAND WITH A CRACKED WINDOW AND OTHER DAMAGE.

Narrative

WHILE IN CLB TO FL330; THE ACFT ENTERED HVY RAIN AND SEVERE TURB. THE WX RADAR WAS PAINTING ONLY GREEN AND YELLOW ECHOES AT DISTANCES FROM 30 NM TO 180 NM AT ANGLES FROM 0-10 DEGS NOSE UP. ON INQUIRY; CTR INDICATED THAT THE WORST OF THE WX WAS ALREADY BEHIND THE ACFT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER; THE TURB BECAME SEVERE AND THE RAIN TURNED TO INTENSE HAIL. THE IMPACT NOISE OF THE HAIL MADE COM WITHIN THE COCKPIT VERY DIFFICULT. THE FO'S FORWARD WINDOW PANE SUSTAINED VISIBLE DAMAGE FROM HAIL IMPACT. THE FE INFORMED THE CREW THAT THE ACFT WAS LOSING CABIN PRESSURE. THE FO RADIOED TO CENTER; 'MAY DAY; MAY DAY; MAY DAY; XXX IS DECLARING AN EMER. A WINDOW IS CRACKING AND WE ARE LOSING CABIN PRESSURE.' ATC CLRED US FOR IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND RETURN TO ABC VOR. THE CAPT TURNED THE ACFT TO THE L AND INITIATED DSCNT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE HAIL CEASED AND THE TURB SUBSIDED. THE RETURN TO ZZZ WAS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CAPT DETERMINED THAT THROUGH THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS THAT THE ACFT'S STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY WAS INTACT AND THAT THE NOSE RADAR DOME WAS PROBABLY STILL ATTACHED. UPON SAFE LNDG; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS AND HORIZ STABILIZER SUFFERED MULTIPLE HAIL DAMAGE DIVOTS; THE LNDG LIGHTS WERE SMASHED UP; THE ENG COWL LEADING EDGES WERE DAMAGED; THE FO'S FORWARD WINDOW WAS SPIDER-WEBBED; AND THERE WAS A 3 FT DIAMETER HOLE IN THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. THE FLT INTO THE TSTM WAS UNAVOIDABLE SINCE NO RADAR RETURNS EVER APPEARED ON THE ACFT'S ONBOARD WX RADAR.