37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 1239445 |
Time | |
Date | 201502 |
Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | GSP.Airport |
State Reference | SC |
Environment | |
Light | Night |
Aircraft 1 | |
Make Model Name | Regional Jet CL65 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | Initial Approach |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Function | Pilot Flying Captain |
Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
Events | |
Anomaly | Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue |
Narrative:
We encountered a windshear warning on final approach to runway 34 in ZZZ. This resulted in a go around and we tried another attempt to land. On the second approach; ATC issued a microburst alert; resulting in another go around. While performing the go around; we received another windshear warning. At this point it was obvious we were not going to get into ZZZ and decided to return to the departure airport. While on the way; we realized that the airport had switched to a northbound operation which caused us to show a landing fuel of under 1500 lbs. Reserve on this flight was 2200 lbs. We then decided due to the low fuel; our only option was to land in gsp. While on the way; we showed landing with under 2200 lbs of fuel and declared min fuel to ATC. The conditions in gsp were not much different than in ZZZ or the departure airport; reporting windshear on final and other aircraft that had previously had to go around. As we were becoming critically low on fuel and multiple passengers were vomiting in the back; it was clear that we needed to land urgently. While on final; we received another windshear warning between 1000-1500 feet. I made the decision to continue the approach and not go around as we had no other options and only one go around could possibly be done with the critically low fuel. I wanted to make sure I had the go around available to me if it became necessary to save the aircraft while critically low over the runway; so I made the PIC decision to fly through the windshear warning as we were still flying and had some altitude to work with. We ended up landing safely in gsp with 2000 lbs of fuel on board and the wind conditions rapidly deteriorating. This event occurred due to the windshear conditions at all the airports in the area. We appeared to have plenty of fuel on board when we left and as there was no real convective activity along the route; I was under the impression that the flight would be windy; but nothing too out of the ordinary. The second attempt into ZZZ and the subsequent turning around of the departure airport also compounded the issue. My decision to continue through the windshear event in gsp was caused by the lack of fuel and lack of options available at the time and I feel it was necessary to be done to safely get the aircraft and the passengers on the ground while still having a little fuel left over in case of an extreme emergency close to the ground.this can be prevented by not sending airplanes into the air with a smaller fuel load when extreme windshear and microburst conditions are present at nearly all the available airports in the area. However; the conditions deteriorated rapidly and there may not have been enough warning to plan for multiple failed approaches and a subsequent diversion.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CRJ Captain describes a diversion caused by a windshear on the first approach and a microburst alert from ATC on the second. The diversion airport has equally unstable air; and the Captain elects to fly through a windshear warning at 1;500 feet to land due to a low fuel situation.
Narrative: We encountered a windshear warning on final approach to runway 34 in ZZZ. This resulted in a go around and we tried another attempt to land. On the second approach; ATC issued a microburst alert; resulting in another go around. While performing the go around; we received another windshear warning. At this point it was obvious we were not going to get into ZZZ and decided to return to the departure airport. While on the way; we realized that the airport had switched to a northbound operation which caused us to show a landing fuel of under 1500 lbs. Reserve on this flight was 2200 lbs. We then decided due to the low fuel; our only option was to land in GSP. While on the way; we showed landing with under 2200 lbs of fuel and declared min fuel to ATC. The conditions in GSP were not much different than in ZZZ or the departure airport; reporting windshear on final and other aircraft that had previously had to go around. As we were becoming critically low on fuel and multiple passengers were vomiting in the back; it was clear that we needed to land urgently. While on final; we received another windshear warning between 1000-1500 feet. I made the decision to continue the approach and not go around as we had no other options and only one go around could possibly be done with the critically low fuel. I wanted to make sure I had the go around available to me if it became necessary to save the aircraft while critically low over the runway; so I made the PIC decision to fly through the windshear warning as we were still flying and had some altitude to work with. We ended up landing safely in GSP with 2000 lbs of fuel on board and the wind conditions rapidly deteriorating. This event occurred due to the windshear conditions at all the airports in the area. We appeared to have plenty of fuel on board when we left and as there was no real convective activity along the route; I was under the impression that the flight would be windy; but nothing too out of the ordinary. The second attempt into ZZZ and the subsequent turning around of the departure airport also compounded the issue. My decision to continue through the windshear event in GSP was caused by the lack of fuel and lack of options available at the time and I feel it was necessary to be done to safely get the aircraft and the passengers on the ground while still having a little fuel left over in case of an extreme emergency close to the ground.This can be prevented by not sending airplanes into the air with a smaller fuel load when extreme windshear and microburst conditions are present at nearly all the available airports in the area. However; the conditions deteriorated rapidly and there may not have been enough warning to plan for multiple failed approaches and a subsequent diversion.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.