Narrative:

I am a captain for an air carrier. Our airline operates B727's under part 121. Prior to that I flew 28 yrs for a major air carrier that went out of business. Initially, our schedule called for us to make scheduled stops at 3 different cities (atl, tpa and mdw), arriving at mdw with approximately 8 hours 40 mins of scheduled duty time and under 8 hours of actual flying. Our first intended landing at atl had to be aborted because of heavy WX (reports of windshear and microburst) and we diverted to our alternate, cha (all passenger remained on board). We returned to atl under normal conditions. From atl we proceeded to tpa then to mdw. En route to mdw we received holding instructions because mdw went below our landing minimums. Eventually we diverted to rfd. Upon arrival at rfd we were parked at a remote site, alongside another company flight who had been diverted from mdw. In the meantime other air carrier flts had diverted there also. Because we had no contract agreements as the other airlines did, we were last to get service. The WX conditions at rfd were severe cold, wind chill below zero degrees, and the ramp was extremely slippery. Because of security reasons, none of the passenger could leave the aircraft. Each time I went to flight operations I had to be taken by van to where I called my dispatch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC EXPERIENCED SERIOUS DELAYS IN THEIR FLT SCHEDULE DUE TO ADVERSE WX FACTORS. ON THE FIRST LEG, THEY MISSED THE APCH AND DIVERTED TO THE ALTERNATE AS A RESULT OF MICROBURSTS AND WINDSHEAR, AND ON THE THIRD LEG THEY DIVERTED BECAUSE THE WX WENT BELOW THEIR LNDG MINIMUMS. PAX WERE CARRIED TO SEVERAL STATIONS OUT OF THEIR WAY BEFORE OFF LOADING AND WERE FORCED TO REMAIN ON THE ACFT AT RFD (ALTERNATE ARPT) FOR SECURITY PURPOSES.

Narrative: I AM A CAPT FOR AN ACR. OUR AIRLINE OPERATES B727'S UNDER PART 121. PRIOR TO THAT I FLEW 28 YRS FOR A MAJOR ACR THAT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. INITIALLY, OUR SCHEDULE CALLED FOR US TO MAKE SCHEDULED STOPS AT 3 DIFFERENT CITIES (ATL, TPA AND MDW), ARRIVING AT MDW WITH APPROX 8 HRS 40 MINS OF SCHEDULED DUTY TIME AND UNDER 8 HRS OF ACTUAL FLYING. OUR FIRST INTENDED LNDG AT ATL HAD TO BE ABORTED BECAUSE OF HVY WX (RPTS OF WINDSHEAR AND MICROBURST) AND WE DIVERTED TO OUR ALTERNATE, CHA (ALL PAX REMAINED ON BOARD). WE RETURNED TO ATL UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. FROM ATL WE PROCEEDED TO TPA THEN TO MDW. ENRTE TO MDW WE RECEIVED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE MDW WENT BELOW OUR LNDG MINIMUMS. EVENTUALLY WE DIVERTED TO RFD. UPON ARR AT RFD WE WERE PARKED AT A REMOTE SITE, ALONGSIDE ANOTHER COMPANY FLT WHO HAD BEEN DIVERTED FROM MDW. IN THE MEANTIME OTHER ACR FLTS HAD DIVERTED THERE ALSO. BECAUSE WE HAD NO CONTRACT AGREEMENTS AS THE OTHER AIRLINES DID, WE WERE LAST TO GET SVC. THE WX CONDITIONS AT RFD WERE SEVERE COLD, WIND CHILL BELOW ZERO DEGS, AND THE RAMP WAS EXTREMELY SLIPPERY. BECAUSE OF SECURITY REASONS, NONE OF THE PAX COULD LEAVE THE ACFT. EACH TIME I WENT TO FLT OPS I HAD TO BE TAKEN BY VAN TO WHERE I CALLED MY DISPATCH.

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.