Narrative:

On apr/tue/98, flight was flying from dca to atl. Because of WX in the atl area we had to hold. Later we made a decision to divert to tys for fuel. ATC cleared us direct to tys. As we approached the tys area from the south, there was a thunderstorm southeast and an area of rain near the airport to the southwest. Tys appeared to be north of the WX. On right downwind to runway 23 we had the runway in sight. A rain shower was visible southwest of the airport. On base leg the tower informed us that a previous aircraft had reported windshear and had gone around. We took precautions and continued the approach visually. At around 1500 ft we received a windshear warning and initiated a standard recovery (windshear recovery procedure) followed by a missed approach. The windshear warning was brief in duration. On the missed approach, approach control gave us a vector that would have sent us back into an area of rain showers. We turned part way and attempted to contact approach to let them know we could not fly the heading as assigned. We were very busy at the time and it was difficult to talk to approach control because of other radio xmissions. When we finally were able to call approach, they gave us a new heading to fly. About this time we received a TCASII TA. The other aircraft flew behind and below us. I'm not sure, but there may have been a loss of legal separation. As I said, we were very busy. Because of the WX encountered in and around tys, coupled with the windshear and missed approach we were nearing minimum fuel reserves. I declared a fuel emergency. Shortly thereafter, we flew another visual approach and landed on runway 23R. We arrived at the gate with 5700 pounds of fuel. As a flight crew we never reached the limit of what we could handle visibility a visibility WX and contingency planning. However, we were starting to approach the limits. I think more research needs to be done on how to best support 2-PLT crew aircraft. Receiving timely and accurate information regarding field conditions and diversion information is very difficult when the crew has to initiate the request for information. It just takes too much time. In a rapidly changing situation time is one thing we don't have a lot of. 2-PLT crews are fine as long as everything is normal. But, throw in an abnormal be it mechanical or WX related or anything else for that matter, and the 2-PLT crew quickly becomes extremely busy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 PIC RPT ON A POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND 2 PLT ACFT WORKLOADS DURING INCLEMENT WX CONDITIONS.

Narrative: ON APR/TUE/98, FLT WAS FLYING FROM DCA TO ATL. BECAUSE OF WX IN THE ATL AREA WE HAD TO HOLD. LATER WE MADE A DECISION TO DIVERT TO TYS FOR FUEL. ATC CLRED US DIRECT TO TYS. AS WE APCHED THE TYS AREA FROM THE S, THERE WAS A TSTM SE AND AN AREA OF RAIN NEAR THE ARPT TO THE SW. TYS APPEARED TO BE N OF THE WX. ON R DOWNWIND TO RWY 23 WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. A RAIN SHOWER WAS VISIBLE SW OF THE ARPT. ON BASE LEG THE TWR INFORMED US THAT A PREVIOUS ACFT HAD RPTED WINDSHEAR AND HAD GONE AROUND. WE TOOK PRECAUTIONS AND CONTINUED THE APCH VISUALLY. AT AROUND 1500 FT WE RECEIVED A WINDSHEAR WARNING AND INITIATED A STANDARD RECOVERY (WINDSHEAR RECOVERY PROC) FOLLOWED BY A MISSED APCH. THE WINDSHEAR WARNING WAS BRIEF IN DURATION. ON THE MISSED APCH, APCH CTL GAVE US A VECTOR THAT WOULD HAVE SENT US BACK INTO AN AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS. WE TURNED PART WAY AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH TO LET THEM KNOW WE COULD NOT FLY THE HEADING AS ASSIGNED. WE WERE VERY BUSY AT THE TIME AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TALK TO APCH CTL BECAUSE OF OTHER RADIO XMISSIONS. WHEN WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO CALL APCH, THEY GAVE US A NEW HEADING TO FLY. ABOUT THIS TIME WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA. THE OTHER ACFT FLEW BEHIND AND BELOW US. I'M NOT SURE, BUT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LOSS OF LEGAL SEPARATION. AS I SAID, WE WERE VERY BUSY. BECAUSE OF THE WX ENCOUNTERED IN AND AROUND TYS, COUPLED WITH THE WINDSHEAR AND MISSED APCH WE WERE NEARING MINIMUM FUEL RESERVES. I DECLARED A FUEL EMER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE FLEW ANOTHER VISUAL APCH AND LANDED ON RWY 23R. WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE WITH 5700 LBS OF FUEL. AS A FLC WE NEVER REACHED THE LIMIT OF WHAT WE COULD HANDLE VIS A VIS WX AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING. HOWEVER, WE WERE STARTING TO APCH THE LIMITS. I THINK MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE ON HOW TO BEST SUPPORT 2-PLT CREW ACFT. RECEIVING TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFO REGARDING FIELD CONDITIONS AND DIVERSION INFO IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN THE CREW HAS TO INITIATE THE REQUEST FOR INFO. IT JUST TAKES TOO MUCH TIME. IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING SIT TIME IS ONE THING WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF. 2-PLT CREWS ARE FINE AS LONG AS EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. BUT, THROW IN AN ABNORMAL BE IT MECHANICAL OR WX RELATED OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER, AND THE 2-PLT CREW QUICKLY BECOMES EXTREMELY BUSY.

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.