Air carrier medium large transport had to make a go around due to strong crosswind. Second approach ...

Attributes
ACN	196752
Time
Date	199112
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	196752
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Entering phl airspace from en route sector from pbi non stop. Winds reported strong with gusts over 50 KTS. Entered hold at vcn VOR until winds abated. After 15 mins hold acrs X and Y both attempted approachs to 27L and subsequently landed with no reports of any abnormal wind shear conditions, as winds varied from 300 degrees at 10-30 KTS with gusts to 40+. Checking crosswind landing chart we were at our limit and most gusts put us over the limitation. First officer was flying and with winds reduced we elected to leave holding and begin approach and hopefully winds would be favorable during our landing. It also became clear to us that our alternate of bwi was having very high winds and fuel load required our landing at phl. Approach control changed lndgs to 27R once debris was cleared off runway from blowing wind. Our first approach was with 40 degrees flaps and first officer was visibly fighting aircraft control. Winds were at 300 degrees with intensity at 28-30 but gusts to 40-45, but winds at north end of airport near runway 17 were 350 degrees at 8 KTS, no gusts. Over runway threshold the tower called gusts to 48 KTS and it became obvious landing was not recommended due to the gust value and turning the aircraft beyond runway alignment. I called to go around, and we executed a missed approach baked landing scenario and headed out to try again. Second approach we made with 28 degrees flaps and I elected as captain to make the landing. This approach was bumpy but better longitudinal control due to less flaps, winds still were gusting to 40+ but landing was completed uneventfully, although within crosswind limitations at moment of touchdown with known wind value at that point on airport were questionable. Safety was utmost in my mind but alternate airport lndgs weren't considered due to wind of equal or greater values at other locations and minimal fuel range for longer range diversion. No other flts reported any obvious discrepancies from normal operations and I suspect some, if not all, flts at phl were operating beyond some operational limits but within safe plting parameters.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG HAD TO MAKE A GAR DUE TO STRONG XWIND. SECOND APCH LNDG COMPLETED BUT RPTR THINKS THEY LANDED IN XWINDS OVER CERTIFICATE LIMITS.

Narrative: ENTERING PHL AIRSPACE FROM ENRTE SECTOR FROM PBI NON STOP. WINDS RPTED STRONG WITH GUSTS OVER 50 KTS. ENTERED HOLD AT VCN VOR UNTIL WINDS ABATED. AFTER 15 MINS HOLD ACRS X AND Y BOTH ATTEMPTED APCHS TO 27L AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED WITH NO RPTS OF ANY ABNORMAL WIND SHEAR CONDITIONS, AS WINDS VARIED FROM 300 DEGS AT 10-30 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 40+. CHKING XWIND LNDG CHART WE WERE AT OUR LIMIT AND MOST GUSTS PUT US OVER THE LIMITATION. FO WAS FLYING AND WITH WINDS REDUCED WE ELECTED TO LEAVE HOLDING AND BEGIN APCH AND HOPEFULLY WINDS WOULD BE FAVORABLE DURING OUR LNDG. IT ALSO BECAME CLR TO US THAT OUR ALTERNATE OF BWI WAS HAVING VERY HIGH WINDS AND FUEL LOAD REQUIRED OUR LNDG AT PHL. APCH CTL CHANGED LNDGS TO 27R ONCE DEBRIS WAS CLRED OFF RWY FROM BLOWING WIND. OUR FIRST APCH WAS WITH 40 DEGS FLAPS AND FO WAS VISIBLY FIGHTING ACFT CTL. WINDS WERE AT 300 DEGS WITH INTENSITY AT 28-30 BUT GUSTS TO 40-45, BUT WINDS AT N END OF ARPT NEAR RWY 17 WERE 350 DEGS AT 8 KTS, NO GUSTS. OVER RWY THRESHOLD THE TWR CALLED GUSTS TO 48 KTS AND IT BECAME OBVIOUS LNDG WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO THE GUST VALUE AND TURNING THE ACFT BEYOND RWY ALIGNMENT. I CALLED TO GAR, AND WE EXECUTED A MISSED APCH BAKED LNDG SCENARIO AND HEADED OUT TO TRY AGAIN. SECOND APCH WE MADE WITH 28 DEGS FLAPS AND I ELECTED AS CAPT TO MAKE THE LNDG. THIS APCH WAS BUMPY BUT BETTER LONGITUDINAL CTL DUE TO LESS FLAPS, WINDS STILL WERE GUSTING TO 40+ BUT LNDG WAS COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY, ALTHOUGH WITHIN XWIND LIMITATIONS AT MOMENT OF TOUCHDOWN WITH KNOWN WIND VALUE AT THAT POINT ON ARPT WERE QUESTIONABLE. SAFETY WAS UTMOST IN MY MIND BUT ALTERNATE ARPT LNDGS WEREN'T CONSIDERED DUE TO WIND OF EQUAL OR GREATER VALUES AT OTHER LOCATIONS AND MINIMAL FUEL RANGE FOR LONGER RANGE DIVERSION. NO OTHER FLTS RPTED ANY OBVIOUS DISCREPANCIES FROM NORMAL OPS AND I SUSPECT SOME, IF NOT ALL, FLTS AT PHL WERE OPERATING BEYOND SOME OPERATIONAL LIMITS BUT WITHIN SAFE PLTING PARAMETERS.

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.

Air carrier medium large transport had to make a go around due to strong crosswind. Second approach landing completed but reporter thinks they landed in xwinds over certificate limits.