Narrative:

On approach to san the ATIS was reporting 800 ft broken 7 mi visibility and wind 17/16 landing runway 27. We flew the localizer runway 27 approach to a missed approach. The wind was blowing in patchy low clouds by this time. On missed we were vectored around on a left downwind for another approach. While on downwind the approachs were switched to ILS runway 9 so we were vectored around for this approach. All during our missed approach and vectoring we were encountering mod turbulence and departure control was very busy with others missing the approach, making it hard to communication and state intentions. On approach to runway 9 at san we were 5 mi out when winds were given at runway 27/8. On landing and switching to ground the ground controller was stating to another aircraft that the winds had been blowing from 270 at 16-20 KTS. At this time we realized that tower must have said 27/18 not 27/zero 8. Our landing and taxi in was uneventful but this did exceed our maximum tailwind component of 10 KTS. I believe we were so busy with the WX, turbulence, changing runways and approachs and getting approach instructions, that the thought of the winds changing that much to a direct tailwind never entered my mind. With conditions changing this fast I did learned to inquire about all conditions as they switch runways. Supplemental information from acn 300238: briefing approach, turning in tight (8 mi), and then landing with turbulence all happened in about 5-6 min. An aircraft was in front of us (737) and landed with no comment about the wind. We did exceed a flight manual limitation of 10 KTS. Tailwind on the landing by 8 KTS. I think we as a crew were preoccupied with taking care of the big major items like flying the plane in the bad WX and setting up for the next approach and remaining fuel and alternates. The wind just slipped through the crack. It was a lower priority of things to consider at the time.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG PROC DOWNWIND LNDG LIMITS EXCEEDED BY MD80.

Narrative: ON APCH TO SAN THE ATIS WAS RPTING 800 FT BROKEN 7 MI VISIBILITY AND WIND 17/16 LNDG RWY 27. WE FLEW THE LOC RWY 27 APCH TO A MISSED APCH. THE WIND WAS BLOWING IN PATCHY LOW CLOUDS BY THIS TIME. ON MISSED WE WERE VECTORED AROUND ON A L DOWNWIND FOR ANOTHER APCH. WHILE ON DOWNWIND THE APCHS WERE SWITCHED TO ILS RWY 9 SO WE WERE VECTORED AROUND FOR THIS APCH. ALL DURING OUR MISSED APCH AND VECTORING WE WERE ENCOUNTERING MOD TURB AND DEP CTL WAS VERY BUSY WITH OTHERS MISSING THE APCH, MAKING IT HARD TO COM AND STATE INTENTIONS. ON APCH TO RWY 9 AT SAN WE WERE 5 MI OUT WHEN WINDS WERE GIVEN AT RWY 27/8. ON LNDG AND SWITCHING TO GND THE GND CTLR WAS STATING TO ANOTHER ACFT THAT THE WINDS HAD BEEN BLOWING FROM 270 AT 16-20 KTS. AT THIS TIME WE REALIZED THAT TWR MUST HAVE SAID 27/18 NOT 27/ZERO 8. OUR LNDG AND TAXI IN WAS UNEVENTFUL BUT THIS DID EXCEED OUR MAX TAILWIND COMPONENT OF 10 KTS. I BELIEVE WE WERE SO BUSY WITH THE WX, TURB, CHANGING RWYS AND APCHS AND GETTING APCH INSTRUCTIONS, THAT THE THOUGHT OF THE WINDS CHANGING THAT MUCH TO A DIRECT TAILWIND NEVER ENTERED MY MIND. WITH CONDITIONS CHANGING THIS FAST I DID LEARNED TO INQUIRE ABOUT ALL CONDITIONS AS THEY SWITCH RWYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 300238: BRIEFING APCH, TURNING IN TIGHT (8 MI), AND THEN LNDG WITH TURB ALL HAPPENED IN ABOUT 5-6 MIN. AN ACFT WAS IN FRONT OF US (737) AND LANDED WITH NO COMMENT ABOUT THE WIND. WE DID EXCEED A FLT MANUAL LIMITATION OF 10 KTS. TAILWIND ON THE LNDG BY 8 KTS. I THINK WE AS A CREW WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH TAKING CARE OF THE BIG MAJOR ITEMS LIKE FLYING THE PLANE IN THE BAD WX AND SETTING UP FOR THE NEXT APCH AND REMAINING FUEL AND ALTERNATES. THE WIND JUST SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACK. IT WAS A LOWER PRIORITY OF THINGS TO CONSIDER AT THE TIME.

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.