Narrative:

The afternoon and evening of the flight was one of severe thunderstorms from southwest of austin, tx and going through ks in a northeast direction. Our flight left dfw in the early evening and arrived mci a bit more than 1 hour later. We flew generally west of the line of thunderstorms, but in approaching mci our radar showed thunderstorms south and north and east of mci, and also to the west. It appeared that this WX was sufficiently far from the field to make an approach and landing. As we got on the localizer, it looked like the WX was much closer now to the field, but we could not talk to approach because the frequency was being used--at least 1 min later and still no contact with approach. The copilot and I agreed it was too dangerous to continue in a north direction. I started a right-hand turn and was 30 degrees into the turn when we made contact with approach and advised them of our intentions. They gave us a heading and within 2 mins we turned right and again intercepted the ILS, made the approach and landing west/O incident. Although there was level 5 rain reported and thunderstorms all quadrants, the sensitivity of the aircraft's digital WX radar requires too much attention transitioning from high to a low altitude environment. I believe some of what we thought was severe WX at mci was ground clutter. The old radar we had in the older aircraft would never cause this type of a problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ON APCH TO MCI EXECUTES APCH IN APPARENT REACTION TO WX DEPICTED ON ACFT WX RADAR.

Narrative: THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF THE FLT WAS ONE OF SEVERE TSTMS FROM SW OF AUSTIN, TX AND GOING THROUGH KS IN A NE DIRECTION. OUR FLT LEFT DFW IN THE EARLY EVENING AND ARRIVED MCI A BIT MORE THAN 1 HR LATER. WE FLEW GENERALLY W OF THE LINE OF TSTMS, BUT IN APCHING MCI OUR RADAR SHOWED TSTMS S AND N AND E OF MCI, AND ALSO TO THE W. IT APPEARED THAT THIS WX WAS SUFFICIENTLY FAR FROM THE FIELD TO MAKE AN APCH AND LNDG. AS WE GOT ON THE LOC, IT LOOKED LIKE THE WX WAS MUCH CLOSER NOW TO THE FIELD, BUT WE COULD NOT TALK TO APCH BECAUSE THE FREQ WAS BEING USED--AT LEAST 1 MIN LATER AND STILL NO CONTACT WITH APCH. THE COPLT AND I AGREED IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE IN A N DIRECTION. I STARTED A RIGHT-HAND TURN AND WAS 30 DEGS INTO THE TURN WHEN WE MADE CONTACT WITH APCH AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS. THEY GAVE US A HDG AND WITHIN 2 MINS WE TURNED RIGHT AND AGAIN INTERCEPTED THE ILS, MADE THE APCH AND LNDG W/O INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS LEVEL 5 RAIN RPTED AND TSTMS ALL QUADRANTS, THE SENSITIVITY OF THE ACFT'S DIGITAL WX RADAR REQUIRES TOO MUCH ATTN TRANSITIONING FROM HIGH TO A LOW ALT ENVIRONMENT. I BELIEVE SOME OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SEVERE WX AT MCI WAS GND CLUTTER. THE OLD RADAR WE HAD IN THE OLDER ACFT WOULD NEVER CAUSE THIS TYPE OF A PROB.

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.