Narrative:

On the morning of apr/xx/96, we had thunderstorms in the dfw TRACON airspace. I was working the handoff position for feeder east. There were several large areas of WX on the west side of TRACON's airspace that caused the two west inbound rtes to be stopped. Another large area of WX was forming on the west side of dfw airport (approximately 10 mi west), as we got increasingly busier on the east side's two inbound rtes. ASR-9 radar presentations indicated level 4 or greater areas of precipitation. We were told that the area just west of the airport had level 4 and 5 thunderstorms and heavy hail. Movement of the thunderstorm was e-ene which would take it over the airport and the finals for all arrs. I expressed my concern to the supervisors that we needed to stop the inbounds for WX. One seemed unconcerned and said the flow rate was at 66. Feeder east was very busy as was AR1 (working east side final). The trainee and his instructor on AR1 were working all the aircraft for 2 finals (runways 17C and 18R þ the runway 13R final was not used due to WX). Airplanes were vectored into this area of WX as it progressed over the finals. Both feeder east and AR1 were talking so fast that I doubt an aircraft on final could have passed a PIREP. They were so busy that I'm not sure that aircraft were advised on the level of thunderstorm or that hail was reported by nearby cities. The SF34 was on the runway 18R final and began to turn off the final to the ese directly in front of the MD80 on the runway 17L final. The west tower controller tried to get the SF34 to turn south and the final monitor east issued an immediate left turn to pull out the MD80. Final monitor west said you could hear the hail hitting the airplane when the SF34 keyed the microphone to say they were getting out of there. We have several doppler WX presentations available to flow controllers and supervisor. We could not see these from where we were. In my opinion the supervisors did not do their jobs. The controllers and pilots were put in a very dangerous and potentially disastrous situation and there was no excuse for this. Though we have the equipment available to keep us better informed, we are often overloaded at dfw. Supervisors wait for aircraft to deviation or go around before they'll reduce or stop traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON CTLR OBSERVES TSTM ACTIVITY ON FINAL APCH AND NOTIFIES SUPVR THAT APCHS SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED UNTIL WX PASSES. SUPVR DOES NOT TAKE ANY ACTION TO STOP ARRS. A COMMUTER ACFT ON FINAL ENCOUNTERS SEVERE WX AND TURNS IN FRONT OF TFC ON APCH FOR THE PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF APR/XX/96, WE HAD TSTMS IN THE DFW TRACON AIRSPACE. I WAS WORKING THE HDOF POS FOR FEEDER E. THERE WERE SEVERAL LARGE AREAS OF WX ON THE W SIDE OF TRACON'S AIRSPACE THAT CAUSED THE TWO W INBOUND RTES TO BE STOPPED. ANOTHER LARGE AREA OF WX WAS FORMING ON THE W SIDE OF DFW ARPT (APPROX 10 MI W), AS WE GOT INCREASINGLY BUSIER ON THE E SIDE'S TWO INBOUND RTES. ASR-9 RADAR PRESENTATIONS INDICATED LEVEL 4 OR GREATER AREAS OF PRECIPITATION. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE AREA JUST W OF THE ARPT HAD LEVEL 4 AND 5 TSTMS AND HVY HAIL. MOVEMENT OF THE TSTM WAS E-ENE WHICH WOULD TAKE IT OVER THE ARPT AND THE FINALS FOR ALL ARRS. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN TO THE SUPVRS THAT WE NEEDED TO STOP THE INBOUNDS FOR WX. ONE SEEMED UNCONCERNED AND SAID THE FLOW RATE WAS AT 66. FEEDER E WAS VERY BUSY AS WAS AR1 (WORKING E SIDE FINAL). THE TRAINEE AND HIS INSTRUCTOR ON AR1 WERE WORKING ALL THE ACFT FOR 2 FINALS (RWYS 17C AND 18R þ THE RWY 13R FINAL WAS NOT USED DUE TO WX). AIRPLANES WERE VECTORED INTO THIS AREA OF WX AS IT PROGRESSED OVER THE FINALS. BOTH FEEDER E AND AR1 WERE TALKING SO FAST THAT I DOUBT AN ACFT ON FINAL COULD HAVE PASSED A PIREP. THEY WERE SO BUSY THAT I'M NOT SURE THAT ACFT WERE ADVISED ON THE LEVEL OF TSTM OR THAT HAIL WAS RPTED BY NEARBY CITIES. THE SF34 WAS ON THE RWY 18R FINAL AND BEGAN TO TURN OFF THE FINAL TO THE ESE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE MD80 ON THE RWY 17L FINAL. THE W TWR CTLR TRIED TO GET THE SF34 TO TURN S AND THE FINAL MONITOR E ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO PULL OUT THE MD80. FINAL MONITOR W SAID YOU COULD HEAR THE HAIL HITTING THE AIRPLANE WHEN THE SF34 KEYED THE MIKE TO SAY THEY WERE GETTING OUT OF THERE. WE HAVE SEVERAL DOPPLER WX PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE TO FLOW CTLRS AND SUPVR. WE COULD NOT SEE THESE FROM WHERE WE WERE. IN MY OPINION THE SUPVRS DID NOT DO THEIR JOBS. THE CTLRS AND PLTS WERE PUT IN A VERY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS SIT AND THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. THOUGH WE HAVE THE EQUIP AVAILABLE TO KEEP US BETTER INFORMED, WE ARE OFTEN OVERLOADED AT DFW. SUPVRS WAIT FOR ACFT TO DEV OR GAR BEFORE THEY'LL REDUCE OR STOP TFC.

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.