Narrative:

Arriving in the dca area on the CLIPR1 arrival; we began to encounter moderate turbulence just past balance. Shortly after being switched over to the final approach controller; we heard a flight execute a missed approach and list the reason as being an unstable approach. The winds at the time were reported in the ATIS as 220@20g31. We briefed the go around callouts and procedure at this point; as it sounded like a go around might be likely. At the time no windshear was being reported in the ATIS. Due to the wind gusts and stall protection ice speeds from a prior icing encounter; our vapp was 150 knots.we were cleared for the river visual approach to runway 19. Although we experienced light to moderate turbulence all the way down the approach; the approach was stable to 500 foot callout; where we were at vapp and the callout was a 700 fpm descent. Shortly after completing the last turn and lining up on the centerline of the runway (at about 300-400 feet); we experienced moderate turbulence accompanied by a shift in the wind; resulting in the GPWS callouts of 'sink rate . . . Pull up pull up'. I was looking outside as the GPWS callouts came; and it didn't appear that the approach had become unstable; but I initiated a go around anyway. A second or two after initiating the go around; the GPWS annunciated 'caution windshear!' a few seconds later; with increasing performance from the shear; the aircraft exceeded vfe for flaps 5; which the first officer had yet to change. We went beyond the red line on the airspeed tape for just a couple seconds and no more than about five knots over the limitation. As we cleaned up the aircraft in the climb; we complied with an ATC assigned heading and altitude of 4;000. When asked the reason for the go around we said that we encountered windshear. Once at altitude and handed off to another frequency we learned that the airport was switching from a southbound operation to a northbound operation; using runway 1 and 33. We suspect that we were the last aircraft to do an approach to 19. Even while up at 4;000 feet on the downwind for our second approach; we experienced a loss and gain of 30 knots. We were eventually cleared for the mt. Vernon visual to 33. At about 1;000 feet during our approach we again encountered the 'caution windshear!' GPWS alert. The gusts and shear were not as bad and we were able to make an otherwise uneventful approach and landing.upon arriving at the gate; I wrote up the flap limitation exceedance and called maintenance. We swapped aircraft and found that the crew of our new aircraft had experienced the same situation; and also exceeded the flap limitation in a gust.when we began our first approach; the tower was reporting winds from 210-220 degrees. At the time of our second approach they were reporting winds between 340 and 360 degrees. I believe our first approach was being made while the winds were in the process of shifting to the north.I think for the most part the first officer and I did everything we could with the situation we were given. With our approach speed of 150 knots and flaps 5 limitation of 180 knots; there wasn't much margin for error during the go around; and the complication of a windshear encounter didn't help.in a situation like this I need to speak much louder to be heard over the GPWS callouts. They seemed almost continuous as we were initiating the go around; and the first officer wasn't able to hear my callouts for the go around procedure very well; which may have contributed to a slight delay in cleaning up the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An EMB170 Flight Crew experiences a wind shear event during the River Visual approach to Runway 19 at DCA. At 300 feet the GPWS annunciates 'Sink Rate . . . PULL UP PULL UP' and a go around is initiated by the Captain. Within seconds a 'CAUTION WINDSHEAR!' annunciates and an increasing performance winds hear is encountered resulting in a flap over speed. The airport is turned around and the next approach is to Runway 33.

Narrative: Arriving in the DCA area on the CLIPR1 arrival; we began to encounter moderate turbulence just past BAL. Shortly after being switched over to the final approach controller; we heard a flight execute a missed approach and list the reason as being an unstable approach. The winds at the time were reported in the ATIS as 220@20G31. We briefed the go around callouts and procedure at this point; as it sounded like a go around might be likely. At the time no windshear was being reported in the ATIS. Due to the wind gusts and Stall Protection Ice Speeds from a prior icing encounter; our Vapp was 150 knots.We were cleared for the River Visual Approach to runway 19. Although we experienced light to moderate turbulence all the way down the approach; the approach was stable to 500 foot callout; where we were at Vapp and the callout was a 700 fpm descent. Shortly after completing the last turn and lining up on the centerline of the runway (at about 300-400 feet); we experienced moderate turbulence accompanied by a shift in the wind; resulting in the GPWS callouts of 'Sink Rate . . . PULL UP PULL UP'. I was looking outside as the GPWS callouts came; and it didn't appear that the approach had become unstable; but I initiated a Go Around anyway. A second or two after initiating the Go Around; the GPWS annunciated 'CAUTION WINDSHEAR!' A few seconds later; with increasing performance from the shear; the aircraft exceeded Vfe for Flaps 5; which the first officer had yet to change. We went beyond the red line on the airspeed tape for just a couple seconds and no more than about five knots over the limitation. As we cleaned up the aircraft in the climb; we complied with an ATC assigned heading and altitude of 4;000. When asked the reason for the go around we said that we encountered windshear. Once at altitude and handed off to another frequency we learned that the airport was switching from a Southbound operation to a Northbound operation; using runway 1 and 33. We suspect that we were the last aircraft to do an approach to 19. Even while up at 4;000 feet on the downwind for our second approach; we experienced a loss and gain of 30 knots. We were eventually cleared for the Mt. Vernon visual to 33. At about 1;000 feet during our approach we again encountered the 'CAUTION WINDSHEAR!' GPWS alert. The gusts and shear were not as bad and we were able to make an otherwise uneventful approach and landing.Upon arriving at the gate; I wrote up the flap limitation exceedance and called maintenance. We swapped aircraft and found that the crew of our new aircraft had experienced the same situation; and also exceeded the flap limitation in a gust.When we began our first approach; the tower was reporting winds from 210-220 degrees. At the time of our second approach they were reporting winds between 340 and 360 degrees. I believe our first approach was being made while the winds were in the process of shifting to the North.I think for the most part the First Officer and I did everything we could with the situation we were given. With our approach speed of 150 knots and Flaps 5 limitation of 180 knots; there wasn't much margin for error during the go around; and the complication of a windshear encounter didn't help.In a situation like this I need to speak much louder to be heard over the GPWS callouts. They seemed almost continuous as we were initiating the go around; and the First Officer wasn't able to hear my callouts for the go around procedure very well; which may have contributed to a slight delay in cleaning up the aircraft.

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.