Narrative:

During arrival to ewr on the RBV1 STAR, we were given a rerte to ard VOR, vectors to ewr, altitude 8000 ft at ard. Upon descent to 8000 ft from 11000 ft, continuous light to moderate turbulence was encountered with several forays into the severe range near some convective cells. Radar vectors took us approximately 35 NM past ewr in sequence for landing. Captain (flying) was tuned to the ILS (ilsq runway 22L) and the first officer was tuned to teb for orientation. Several dscnts brought us to 3000 ft after 20-25 mins of vectoring. We were cleared for the ILS runway 22L at approximately 10 NM, maintain 170 KIAS until the marker (ayron at 4.4 DME, 1482 ft MSL (1471 ft AGL). At this time the first officer was tuned to the ILS to back up the PF. Just short of ayron, speed dropped 5-10 KIAS, severe turbulence encountered and the aircraft dropped approximately 300-400 ft (1.5 dots GS) and left of course. No convective activity was indicated on the aircraft radar. Simultaneously, the localizer GS flags appeared on the captain's side then retracted after approximately 1 min. First officer's instruments remained reliable. The captain (flying) initiated an immediate climb/turn to rejoin the ILS and the runway came into view at approximately 4 NM, 1100 ft MSL. Aircraft was flown to a safe landing in continuous moderate turbulence, 20-30 degrees crab angle to maintain centerline and wind 080 degrees at 50-60 KTS indicated on GPS until 150 ft final. I believe I encountered a windshear from an undetected cell in the area. Other aircraft may have been affected also as another B727 reported a loss of 15 KIAS on final. Factors leading to this include the turbulence WX, stress and fatigue. The crew had just completed a 4 leg international trip with an unscheduled fuel stop at tjsj. Rerte from tjsj to ewr brought our fuel burn to nearly the limits of the aircraft. Rerte was due to a radar outage in the ewr area. The only way this could have been entirely corrected/eliminated would have been: 1) to delay the flight until the WX had passed, or 2) divert to another field (all within 200 NM had similar WX), or 3) install doppler radar to help crews to avoid similar sits in foul WX/frontal passage sits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 EXPERIENCES HDG AND ALTDEVS DURING MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB ON APCH TO EWR.

Narrative: DURING ARR TO EWR ON THE RBV1 STAR, WE WERE GIVEN A RERTE TO ARD VOR, VECTORS TO EWR, ALT 8000 FT AT ARD. UPON DSCNT TO 8000 FT FROM 11000 FT, CONTINUOUS LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED WITH SEVERAL FORAYS INTO THE SEVERE RANGE NEAR SOME CONVECTIVE CELLS. RADAR VECTORS TOOK US APPROX 35 NM PAST EWR IN SEQUENCE FOR LNDG. CAPT (FLYING) WAS TUNED TO THE ILS (ILSQ RWY 22L) AND THE FO WAS TUNED TO TEB FOR ORIENTATION. SEVERAL DSCNTS BROUGHT US TO 3000 FT AFTER 20-25 MINS OF VECTORING. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 22L AT APPROX 10 NM, MAINTAIN 170 KIAS UNTIL THE MARKER (AYRON AT 4.4 DME, 1482 FT MSL (1471 FT AGL). AT THIS TIME THE FO WAS TUNED TO THE ILS TO BACK UP THE PF. JUST SHORT OF AYRON, SPD DROPPED 5-10 KIAS, SEVERE TURB ENCOUNTERED AND THE ACFT DROPPED APPROX 300-400 FT (1.5 DOTS GS) AND L OF COURSE. NO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS INDICATED ON THE ACFT RADAR. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE LOC GS FLAGS APPEARED ON THE CAPT'S SIDE THEN RETRACTED AFTER APPROX 1 MIN. FO'S INSTS REMAINED RELIABLE. THE CAPT (FLYING) INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE CLB/TURN TO REJOIN THE ILS AND THE RWY CAME INTO VIEW AT APPROX 4 NM, 1100 FT MSL. ACFT WAS FLOWN TO A SAFE LNDG IN CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB, 20-30 DEGS CRAB ANGLE TO MAINTAIN CTRLINE AND WIND 080 DEGS AT 50-60 KTS INDICATED ON GPS UNTIL 150 FT FINAL. I BELIEVE I ENCOUNTERED A WINDSHEAR FROM AN UNDETECTED CELL IN THE AREA. OTHER ACFT MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED ALSO AS ANOTHER B727 RPTED A LOSS OF 15 KIAS ON FINAL. FACTORS LEADING TO THIS INCLUDE THE TURB WX, STRESS AND FATIGUE. THE CREW HAD JUST COMPLETED A 4 LEG INTL TRIP WITH AN UNSCHEDULED FUEL STOP AT TJSJ. RERTE FROM TJSJ TO EWR BROUGHT OUR FUEL BURN TO NEARLY THE LIMITS OF THE ACFT. RERTE WAS DUE TO A RADAR OUTAGE IN THE EWR AREA. THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY CORRECTED/ELIMINATED WOULD HAVE BEEN: 1) TO DELAY THE FLT UNTIL THE WX HAD PASSED, OR 2) DIVERT TO ANOTHER FIELD (ALL WITHIN 200 NM HAD SIMILAR WX), OR 3) INSTALL DOPPLER RADAR TO HELP CREWS TO AVOID SIMILAR SITS IN FOUL WX/FRONTAL PASSAGE SITS.

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.