Runway selection with tailwind, windshear, thunderstorm.

Attributes
ACN	133418
Time
Date	199001
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2400 msl bound upper : 2400
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 4 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	133418
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : coordinator
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Extreme northwest winds reported at 2400' MSL 297 at 43 direct tailwind to landing aircraft on runways 11R&left at msp airport. Numerous inquiries and PIREP information was passed to supervisors along with current WX information were ignored by management on duty. With strong winds on tail of aircraft final approach speeds were in excess of 250 KTS across the ground. This created several go arounds which finally triggered management to affect a runway change. However, the delay in changing runways created potentially dangerous situation. The runway change occurred after an inbound rush had already started and there were approximately 15-20 aircraft in the terminal environment. This caused approach controllers to vector these inbound aircraft including the go around aircraft around until aircraft had finished departing runways 11R&left so we could land on runways 29L&right. Any further delay in changing runways would have prohibited us changing runways due to too many aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter experience: 4 yrs radar, 4 yrs non radar. Reporter was working a satellite position when he observed the coordinator tell the supervisor that aircraft were hot coming down the final and let's change runways. The supervisor said 'don't bug me with that right now.' surface wind was 10-15 KTS crosswind. The supervisor talked to the WX bureau and the tower supervisor and changed the landing runways 15 mins later.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY SELECTION WITH TAILWIND, WINDSHEAR, TSTM.

Narrative: EXTREME NW WINDS REPORTED AT 2400' MSL 297 AT 43 DIRECT TAILWIND TO LNDG ACFT ON RWYS 11R&L AT MSP ARPT. NUMEROUS INQUIRIES AND PIREP INFO WAS PASSED TO SUPVRS ALONG WITH CURRENT WX INFO WERE IGNORED BY MGMNT ON DUTY. WITH STRONG WINDS ON TAIL OF ACFT FINAL APCH SPEEDS WERE IN EXCESS OF 250 KTS ACROSS THE GND. THIS CREATED SEVERAL GO AROUNDS WHICH FINALLY TRIGGERED MGMNT TO AFFECT A RWY CHANGE. HOWEVER, THE DELAY IN CHANGING RWYS CREATED POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE RWY CHANGE OCCURRED AFTER AN INBND RUSH HAD ALREADY STARTED AND THERE WERE APPROX 15-20 ACFT IN THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT. THIS CAUSED APCH CTLRS TO VECTOR THESE INBND ACFT INCLUDING THE GO AROUND ACFT AROUND UNTIL ACFT HAD FINISHED DEPARTING RWYS 11R&L SO WE COULD LAND ON RWYS 29L&R. ANY FURTHER DELAY IN CHANGING RWYS WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED US CHANGING RWYS DUE TO TOO MANY ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER EXPERIENCE: 4 YRS RADAR, 4 YRS NON RADAR. REPORTER WAS WORKING A SATELLITE POSITION WHEN HE OBSERVED THE COORDINATOR TELL THE SUPVR THAT ACFT WERE HOT COMING DOWN THE FINAL AND LET'S CHANGE RWYS. THE SUPVR SAID 'DON'T BUG ME WITH THAT RIGHT NOW.' SURFACE WIND WAS 10-15 KTS XWIND. THE SUPVR TALKED TO THE WX BUREAU AND THE TWR SUPVR AND CHANGED THE LNDG RWYS 15 MINS LATER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.