Narrative:

I was following the potomac river, proceeding visually to dca for a landing on 33. Severe winds, windshear and severe turbulence were all evident. I determined a safe approach and landing could not be made, abandoned the approach and proceeded to iad and landed. The noise abatement procedures require you to keep your flight path over the river. This requires a tight/low turn to final for runway 33. While we are all familiar with and often fly these approachs into dca, I found it impossible to keep my ground track over the river and fly a safe approach (winds 290 degree thirty something gusting to 48 KTS during my approach). Totally unsafe to turn that tight and low under these conditions and subsequently was blown east of river in attempt to fly approach. This particular river approach to dca while accepted by pilots under less demanding conditions becomes at some point (increasing severity of WX ie, wind conditions) should be altered to abandon the noise abatement requirements to allow for a safe approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CAPT ELECTED TO ABANDON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 33 AT DCA BECAUSE OF TURB AND STRONG WINDS.

Narrative: I WAS FOLLOWING THE POTOMAC RIVER, PROCEEDING VISUALLY TO DCA FOR A LNDG ON 33. SEVERE WINDS, WINDSHEAR AND SEVERE TURB WERE ALL EVIDENT. I DETERMINED A SAFE APCH AND LNDG COULD NOT BE MADE, ABANDONED THE APCH AND PROCEEDED TO IAD AND LANDED. THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS REQUIRE YOU TO KEEP YOUR FLT PATH OVER THE RIVER. THIS REQUIRES A TIGHT/LOW TURN TO FINAL FOR RWY 33. WHILE WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH AND OFTEN FLY THESE APCHS INTO DCA, I FOUND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP MY GND TRACK OVER THE RIVER AND FLY A SAFE APCH (WINDS 290 DEG THIRTY SOMETHING GUSTING TO 48 KTS DURING MY APCH). TOTALLY UNSAFE TO TURN THAT TIGHT AND LOW UNDER THESE CONDITIONS AND SUBSEQUENTLY WAS BLOWN E OF RIVER IN ATTEMPT TO FLY APCH. THIS PARTICULAR RIVER APCH TO DCA WHILE ACCEPTED BY PLTS UNDER LESS DEMANDING CONDITIONS BECOMES AT SOME POINT (INCREASING SEVERITY OF WX IE, WIND CONDITIONS) SHOULD BE ALTERED TO ABANDON THE NOISE ABATEMENT REQUIREMENTS TO ALLOW FOR A SAFE APCH.

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.