Narrative:

Departed row V-14 lbb at XY25 pm and about 30 mi west of lbb started diverting south around and between numerous thunderstorms. My aircraft radar and approach controled suggested and indicated to approach lbb from the south or southwest. Within a few mi the thunderstorms changed from level 1, 2, and 3 to level 5 and was closing up east, south and west. Approach control recommended a turn to the north and I accepted vectors for ILS runway 17R. The controller stated he had never seen the WX change so quickly and do so many different things in the 13 yrs he had been at lbb. After contacting the control tower, I asked if the thunderstorm just west of the runway was moving towards the airport. He stated that he had given up on trying to guess which way the storm was moving, because it had been so unpredictable this evening. About XY20 pm, the twin cessna was cleared to the lbb 210 degree radial at 20 DME to arc and to seed the clouds in a block altitude of FL180 to FL230. At the time of seeding there was already level 1, 2, and 3 thunderstorms in that area. I watched first hand to see those thunderstorms become level 5 instantly. Lubbock receive 1 1/2 inch of rain in 1 hour and caused wide spread flooding in lubbock. I question seeding existing thunderstorms and especially near a city and an airport. The forest service has just burned down 2 towns in new mexico with a controled burn that got out of control. The review of the action that led up to the control burn, showed the person in charge did not follow the rules as prescribed by the forest service. My question is who is in charge of seeding and should they be seeding near cities or towns and business airports. I landed safely, and did not fly into any level 5 thunderstorms.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C208 ATX PLT MAKES AN UNUSUAL OBSERVATION OF A TWIN CESSNA RAINMAKER SEEDING CLOUDS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A TSTM OF LEVEL 3 DEVELOPING INTO A LEVEL 5 TSTM SW OF LBB, TX.

Narrative: DEPARTED ROW V-14 LBB AT XY25 PM AND ABOUT 30 MI W OF LBB STARTED DIVERTING S AROUND AND BTWN NUMEROUS TSTMS. MY ACFT RADAR AND APCH CTLED SUGGESTED AND INDICATED TO APCH LBB FROM THE S OR SW. WITHIN A FEW MI THE TSTMS CHANGED FROM LEVEL 1, 2, AND 3 TO LEVEL 5 AND WAS CLOSING UP E, S AND W. APCH CTL RECOMMENDED A TURN TO THE N AND I ACCEPTED VECTORS FOR ILS RWY 17R. THE CTLR STATED HE HAD NEVER SEEN THE WX CHANGE SO QUICKLY AND DO SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE 13 YRS HE HAD BEEN AT LBB. AFTER CONTACTING THE CTL TWR, I ASKED IF THE TSTM JUST W OF THE RWY WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE ARPT. HE STATED THAT HE HAD GIVEN UP ON TRYING TO GUESS WHICH WAY THE STORM WAS MOVING, BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN SO UNPREDICTABLE THIS EVENING. ABOUT XY20 PM, THE TWIN CESSNA WAS CLRED TO THE LBB 210 DEG RADIAL AT 20 DME TO ARC AND TO SEED THE CLOUDS IN A BLOCK ALT OF FL180 TO FL230. AT THE TIME OF SEEDING THERE WAS ALREADY LEVEL 1, 2, AND 3 TSTMS IN THAT AREA. I WATCHED FIRST HAND TO SEE THOSE TSTMS BECOME LEVEL 5 INSTANTLY. LUBBOCK RECEIVE 1 1/2 INCH OF RAIN IN 1 HR AND CAUSED WIDE SPREAD FLOODING IN LUBBOCK. I QUESTION SEEDING EXISTING TSTMS AND ESPECIALLY NEAR A CITY AND AN ARPT. THE FOREST SVC HAS JUST BURNED DOWN 2 TOWNS IN NEW MEXICO WITH A CTLED BURN THAT GOT OUT OF CTL. THE REVIEW OF THE ACTION THAT LED UP TO THE CTL BURN, SHOWED THE PERSON IN CHARGE DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES AS PRESCRIBED BY THE FOREST SVC. MY QUESTION IS WHO IS IN CHARGE OF SEEDING AND SHOULD THEY BE SEEDING NEAR CITIES OR TOWNS AND BUSINESS ARPTS. I LANDED SAFELY, AND DID NOT FLY INTO ANY LEVEL 5 TSTMS.

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.