Flight crew behavior is listed as a causative factor for an air carrier's flight into deteriorating ...

Attributes
ACN	228039
Time
Date	199212
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : crw
State Reference	WV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1200 agl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : crw tracon : mke
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : missed approach other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	228039
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Briefed approach based on 20 broken 7 mi visibility had the wing and engine anti-ice on as we had descended through layers of clouds. Cleared approach and contacted tower. Tower reported that they had a snow shower with 1/2 mi visibility. I immediately checked to confirm if we were legal for the approach and then configured the aircraft completely for landing. Tower then reported thunder and lightening at the field (first clue) turned the radar on. Showed only green showing moisture. Tower then reported strong winds up to 25 KTS. Basically down the runway (second clue). I then considered a missed approach. Then asked the first officer to get another report. Tower said 1/2 mi and snow covering the runway (third clue). At that point I decided I didn't want to land on a short runway with strong winds and snow covered. We made a missed approach. We were between 1000-1500 ft above the ground on the start of missed approach. Just as we started our missed approach we hit very heavy snow. It covered our windows. Tower said fly runway heading. I thought about a right turn out but the radar didn't show anything bad any direction. During the missed approach we either had two static discharges or lightening strikes, or two close strikes. We went out and held for 20 mins and returned and landed without any problems. Normally when flying into WX and making an approach into thunderstorms or rain showers I look at the radar and make an early decision on which way I intend to make a missed approach and then inform approach control of my intentions if they conflict with the normal missed approach procedure. In this situation we were not prepared for what did happen, a snow thunderstorm. Tower wanted us to go straight ahead. I would have preferred to make a right turn. Why I don't know, because the radar didn't show anything one way or the other. We as pilots must be prepared for the unexpected and take corrective actions as early as possible. I should have in this situation, used the first clue of thunder and lightening and asked for a right turn, got out of there and waited for it to clear up. What's a few mins in what I hope is a long life.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC BEHAVIOR IS LISTED AS A CAUSATIVE FACTOR FOR AN ACR'S FLT INTO DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS THAT ULTIMATELY BECAME A MISSED APCH.

Narrative: BRIEFED APCH BASED ON 20 BROKEN 7 MI VISIBILITY HAD THE WING AND ENG ANTI-ICE ON AS WE HAD DSNDED THROUGH LAYERS OF CLOUDS. CLRED APCH AND CONTACTED TWR. TWR RPTED THAT THEY HAD A SNOW SHOWER WITH 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED TO CONFIRM IF WE WERE LEGAL FOR THE APCH AND THEN CONFIGURED THE ACFT COMPLETELY FOR LNDG. TWR THEN RPTED THUNDER AND LIGHTENING AT THE FIELD (FIRST CLUE) TURNED THE RADAR ON. SHOWED ONLY GREEN SHOWING MOISTURE. TWR THEN RPTED STRONG WINDS UP TO 25 KTS. BASICALLY DOWN THE RWY (SECOND CLUE). I THEN CONSIDERED A MISSED APCH. THEN ASKED THE FO TO GET ANOTHER RPT. TWR SAID 1/2 MI AND SNOW COVERING THE RWY (THIRD CLUE). AT THAT POINT I DECIDED I DIDN'T WANT TO LAND ON A SHORT RWY WITH STRONG WINDS AND SNOW COVERED. WE MADE A MISSED APCH. WE WERE BTWN 1000-1500 FT ABOVE THE GND ON THE START OF MISSED APCH. JUST AS WE STARTED OUR MISSED APCH WE HIT VERY HVY SNOW. IT COVERED OUR WINDOWS. TWR SAID FLY RWY HDG. I THOUGHT ABOUT A R TURN OUT BUT THE RADAR DIDN'T SHOW ANYTHING BAD ANY DIRECTION. DURING THE MISSED APCH WE EITHER HAD TWO STATIC DISCHARGES OR LIGHTENING STRIKES, OR TWO CLOSE STRIKES. WE WENT OUT AND HELD FOR 20 MINS AND RETURNED AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. NORMALLY WHEN FLYING INTO WX AND MAKING AN APCH INTO TSTMS OR RAIN SHOWERS I LOOK AT THE RADAR AND MAKE AN EARLY DECISION ON WHICH WAY I INTEND TO MAKE A MISSED APCH AND THEN INFORM APCH CTL OF MY INTENTIONS IF THEY CONFLICT WITH THE NORMAL MISSED APCH PROC. IN THIS SITUATION WE WERE NOT PREPARED FOR WHAT DID HAPPEN, A SNOW TSTM. TWR WANTED US TO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD. I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO MAKE A R TURN. WHY I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE THE RADAR DIDN'T SHOW ANYTHING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. WE AS PLTS MUST BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. I SHOULD HAVE IN THIS SITUATION, USED THE FIRST CLUE OF THUNDER AND LIGHTENING AND ASKED FOR A R TURN, GOT OUT OF THERE AND WAITED FOR IT TO CLR UP. WHAT'S A FEW MINS IN WHAT I HOPE IS A LONG LIFE.

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.

Flight crew behavior is listed as a causative factor for an air carrier's flight into deteriorating WX conditions that ultimately became a missed approach.