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Flight crew of large transport cargo flight encountered turbulence, lightning wind shear shortly after takeoff at mem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 198773 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199201 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 198773 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 95 |
| ASRS Report | 198959 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
Narrative:
WX was marginal with high winds and thunderstorms in the area. However, when we took the runway (18L), a check of our onboard radar (30 mi scale) showed a clear screen in the direction of intended takeoff. In clearing us for takeoff the tower made no mention of any severe WX. Immediately after rotation the aircraft began to encounter severe buffeting and was difficult to control. Wind shear was present and was also reported by a passenger aircraft on approach to 18L. As we entered the clouds we were given a left turn to 130 degrees and the turbulence intensified. Lightning flashed repeatedly and the aircraft was bounced about. As we were leveling at 3000 ft MSL it was difficult to maintain altitude. A severe pocket of turbulence bounced the aircraft to 3500 ft, and other jolts caused altitude changes of +/-200-300 ft. Our onboard WX radar painted no WX until we were cleared to climb out of 3000 ft. It then, all of a sudden, showed a bright yellow area surrounding 3 bright red areas. Memphis tower and departure control made no mention of this WX. After we were already in it at 3000 ft, departure asked us how we wanted to navigation out of the area. We asked for suggestions, and departure provided us with some vectors. The situation was exacerbated by the intermittent nature of our WX radar (which worked fine for the remainder of the trip). This situation could have resulted in a disaster for 2 reasons: 1) the mem TCA was very crowded and accurate altitude and heading control were impossible, and 2) the WX might have been too severe for a takeoff at maximum gross weight (we were virtually empty). The only way to avoid this type occurrence is to provide better detection equipment to controllers!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF LGT CARGO FLT ENCOUNTERED TURB, LIGHTNING WIND SHEAR SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AT MEM.
Narrative: WX WAS MARGINAL WITH HIGH WINDS AND TSTMS IN THE AREA. HOWEVER, WHEN WE TOOK THE RWY (18L), A CHK OF OUR ONBOARD RADAR (30 MI SCALE) SHOWED A CLR SCREEN IN THE DIRECTION OF INTENDED TKOF. IN CLRING US FOR TKOF THE TWR MADE NO MENTION OF ANY SEVERE WX. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION THE ACFT BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER SEVERE BUFFETING AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CTL. WIND SHEAR WAS PRESENT AND WAS ALSO RPTED BY A PAX ACFT ON APCH TO 18L. AS WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS WE WERE GIVEN A L TURN TO 130 DEGS AND THE TURB INTENSIFIED. LIGHTNING FLASHED REPEATEDLY AND THE ACFT WAS BOUNCED ABOUT. AS WE WERE LEVELING AT 3000 FT MSL IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN ALT. A SEVERE POCKET OF TURB BOUNCED THE ACFT TO 3500 FT, AND OTHER JOLTS CAUSED ALT CHANGES OF +/-200-300 FT. OUR ONBOARD WX RADAR PAINTED NO WX UNTIL WE WERE CLRED TO CLB OUT OF 3000 FT. IT THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, SHOWED A BRIGHT YELLOW AREA SURROUNDING 3 BRIGHT RED AREAS. MEMPHIS TWR AND DEP CTL MADE NO MENTION OF THIS WX. AFTER WE WERE ALREADY IN IT AT 3000 FT, DEP ASKED US HOW WE WANTED TO NAV OUT OF THE AREA. WE ASKED FOR SUGGESTIONS, AND DEP PROVIDED US WITH SOME VECTORS. THE SITUATION WAS EXACERBATED BY THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF OUR WX RADAR (WHICH WORKED FINE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP). THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A DISASTER FOR 2 REASONS: 1) THE MEM TCA WAS VERY CROWDED AND ACCURATE ALT AND HDG CTL WERE IMPOSSIBLE, AND 2) THE WX MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO SEVERE FOR A TKOF AT MAX GROSS WT (WE WERE VIRTUALLY EMPTY). THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS TYPE OCCURRENCE IS TO PROVIDE BETTER DETECTION EQUIP TO CTLRS!
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.