Narrative:

Gusty winds and flight operations. The arrival ATIS (as I recall) said: ILS runway 31C, winds 26/30642 - sn.150 brn. The other company directly in front of me complained bitterly about the rough ride. On final we had at least moderate turbulence and airspeed continually 20-25 KTS on final., I landed, but it was one of the most difficult lndgs I recall ever making. The braking action was good and the light snow had no negative effect, but there was a tumultuous wind blowing. As we taxied clear of the runway, the cabin was clapping, but I was wondering whether I had just done a smart thing or a dumb thing. As I back taxied on runway 31R, the first officer and I watched a company plane take off and almost drag a wingtip (the downwind right wing appeared to come within 2-3 ft of scrapping the ground). Next we saw a company plane go around about 100 ft from the runway. I discussed the situation with my first officer and concluded something was frightfully wrong. It was at that time that I called company dispatch on company frequency and stated 'I recommend company suspend operations at midway airport.' in my 15 yrs of flying at company, I've never previously made that recommendation. Dispatch did inquire about the situation and advised pilots of gusty winds at mdw, but basically, my comments had no affect on the operations. Company just kept flying. About 20 mins after I got on the ground, I called the dispatcher and discussed the matter. I also told my departing passenger in the boarding area that we would not be taking off until the winds subsided. About 1 hour later, I ran into captain X. He had a 13 min later landing. When he got on the ground after landing, he also called the dispatcher and recommended that operations be suspended at mdw. Dispatch did not completely ignore my comments, but I'm still questioning their actions afterwards. The dispatcher told me they were warning crews about gusty winds, but did they tell them 2 company capts had recommended suspending operations! Please allow me the latitude to look at this from another perspective. If a company mechanic tells me a plane is unsafe, I immediately concur with him and the airplane is grounded. No discussions or second opinions are needed. If a company dispatcher recommends we not fly a flight, or a particular route because he is not sure we can do it safely, my only words are 'thank you, I agree completely.' yesterday, however, we had 2 experienced company capts separately recommend operations stop, but company kept flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A HARROWING ARR IN GUSTY TURBULENT WIND CONDITIONS AN ACR CAPT RECOMMENDS HIS COMPANY SUSPEND OPS. A SECOND CAPT INDEPENDENTLY DID THE SAME THING. BOTH FOUND THEIR CONCERNS FELL ON A DEAF EAR.

Narrative: GUSTY WINDS AND FLT OPS. THE ARR ATIS (AS I RECALL) SAID: ILS RWY 31C, WINDS 26/30642 - SN.150 BRN. THE OTHER COMPANY DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME COMPLAINED BITTERLY ABOUT THE ROUGH RIDE. ON FINAL WE HAD AT LEAST MODERATE TURB AND AIRSPD CONTINUALLY 20-25 KTS ON FINAL., I LANDED, BUT IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT LNDGS I RECALL EVER MAKING. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS GOOD AND THE LIGHT SNOW HAD NO NEGATIVE EFFECT, BUT THERE WAS A TUMULTUOUS WIND BLOWING. AS WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY, THE CABIN WAS CLAPPING, BUT I WAS WONDERING WHETHER I HAD JUST DONE A SMART THING OR A DUMB THING. AS I BACK TAXIED ON RWY 31R, THE FO AND I WATCHED A COMPANY PLANE TAKE OFF AND ALMOST DRAG A WINGTIP (THE DOWNWIND R WING APPEARED TO COME WITHIN 2-3 FT OF SCRAPPING THE GND). NEXT WE SAW A COMPANY PLANE GO AROUND ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE RWY. I DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH MY FO AND CONCLUDED SOMETHING WAS FRIGHTFULLY WRONG. IT WAS AT THAT TIME THAT I CALLED COMPANY DISPATCH ON COMPANY FREQ AND STATED 'I RECOMMEND COMPANY SUSPEND OPS AT MIDWAY ARPT.' IN MY 15 YRS OF FLYING AT COMPANY, I'VE NEVER PREVIOUSLY MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION. DISPATCH DID INQUIRE ABOUT THE SIT AND ADVISED PLTS OF GUSTY WINDS AT MDW, BUT BASICALLY, MY COMMENTS HAD NO AFFECT ON THE OPS. COMPANY JUST KEPT FLYING. ABOUT 20 MINS AFTER I GOT ON THE GND, I CALLED THE DISPATCHER AND DISCUSSED THE MATTER. I ALSO TOLD MY DEPARTING PAX IN THE BOARDING AREA THAT WE WOULD NOT BE TAKING OFF UNTIL THE WINDS SUBSIDED. ABOUT 1 HR LATER, I RAN INTO CAPT X. HE HAD A 13 MIN LATER LNDG. WHEN HE GOT ON THE GND AFTER LNDG, HE ALSO CALLED THE DISPATCHER AND RECOMMENDED THAT OPS BE SUSPENDED AT MDW. DISPATCH DID NOT COMPLETELY IGNORE MY COMMENTS, BUT I'M STILL QUESTIONING THEIR ACTIONS AFTERWARDS. THE DISPATCHER TOLD ME THEY WERE WARNING CREWS ABOUT GUSTY WINDS, BUT DID THEY TELL THEM 2 COMPANY CAPTS HAD RECOMMENDED SUSPENDING OPS! PLEASE ALLOW ME THE LATITUDE TO LOOK AT THIS FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. IF A COMPANY MECH TELLS ME A PLANE IS UNSAFE, I IMMEDIATELY CONCUR WITH HIM AND THE AIRPLANE IS GNDED. NO DISCUSSIONS OR SECOND OPINIONS ARE NEEDED. IF A COMPANY DISPATCHER RECOMMENDS WE NOT FLY A FLT, OR A PARTICULAR RTE BECAUSE HE IS NOT SURE WE CAN DO IT SAFELY, MY ONLY WORDS ARE 'THANK YOU, I AGREE COMPLETELY.' YESTERDAY, HOWEVER, WE HAD 2 EXPERIENCED COMPANY CAPTS SEPARATELY RECOMMEND OPS STOP, BUT COMPANY KEPT FLYING.

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.