Narrative:

While inbound to fll on aug/wed/02, we were switched from our fortl 4 arrival to the dvall 1 arrival for the ILS runway 27R approach at fll. On first contact with the final controller, we were at 3000 ft MSL. We asked for vectors to leave the approach prior to jumar due to a WX build-up on our radar return which was immediately west of jumar. This was well communicated and coordinated with the controller. We were vectored north, then east, then southwest. On the second attempt, we were descended to 2000 ft. The WX between jumar and snape was a textbook example of a microburst -- heavy rain could be seen falling vertically onto the ocean surface and waves were rippling outward from the core of the rain shaft's impact point. Our vectoring gave us no option but to go straight -- a right turn would put us into the microburst, a left turn would have put us nose-to-nose with incoming aircraft on the same approach. The final controller insisted we either turn right or declare an emergency. Captain's response was, 'if it takes an emergency to prevent having to make a right turn that is what we will do.' we continued southwest. It did not take very long to fly beyond the microburst and get visual contact with fll and runway 27R. The final controller was very busy talking with other aircraft. The aircraft that was following behind us said 'that WX looks nasty and no one should fly through it.' we intercepted the ILS localizer course east of snape and contacted fll tower for a visual approach to runway 27R. The remainder of the 'now' visual approach was uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 558436: when given the final vector to intercept the ILS approach to runway 27R at fll we were unable to join the localizer due to a thunderstorm on the localizer course at jumar intersection. Due to the vector we had no other option but to deviate to the south of the localizer approximately 3-4 mi to avoid the thunderstorm. The controller said to do this we would have to declare an emergency, so we did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW, O APCH TO FLL, USED CAPT'S EMER AUTH TO CIRCUMNAV TSTM ACTIVITY ON FINAL.

Narrative: WHILE INBOUND TO FLL ON AUG/WED/02, WE WERE SWITCHED FROM OUR FORTL 4 ARR TO THE DVALL 1 ARR FOR THE ILS RWY 27R APCH AT FLL. ON FIRST CONTACT WITH THE FINAL CTLR, WE WERE AT 3000 FT MSL. WE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO LEAVE THE APCH PRIOR TO JUMAR DUE TO A WX BUILD-UP ON OUR RADAR RETURN WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY W OF JUMAR. THIS WAS WELL COMMUNICATED AND COORDINATED WITH THE CTLR. WE WERE VECTORED N, THEN E, THEN SW. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT, WE WERE DSNDED TO 2000 FT. THE WX BTWN JUMAR AND SNAPE WAS A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF A MICROBURST -- HVY RAIN COULD BE SEEN FALLING VERTLY ONTO THE OCEAN SURFACE AND WAVES WERE RIPPLING OUTWARD FROM THE CORE OF THE RAIN SHAFT'S IMPACT POINT. OUR VECTORING GAVE US NO OPTION BUT TO GO STRAIGHT -- A R TURN WOULD PUT US INTO THE MICROBURST, A L TURN WOULD HAVE PUT US NOSE-TO-NOSE WITH INCOMING ACFT ON THE SAME APCH. THE FINAL CTLR INSISTED WE EITHER TURN R OR DECLARE AN EMER. CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS, 'IF IT TAKES AN EMER TO PREVENT HAVING TO MAKE A R TURN THAT IS WHAT WE WILL DO.' WE CONTINUED SW. IT DID NOT TAKE VERY LONG TO FLY BEYOND THE MICROBURST AND GET VISUAL CONTACT WITH FLL AND RWY 27R. THE FINAL CTLR WAS VERY BUSY TALKING WITH OTHER ACFT. THE ACFT THAT WAS FOLLOWING BEHIND US SAID 'THAT WX LOOKS NASTY AND NO ONE SHOULD FLY THROUGH IT.' WE INTERCEPTED THE ILS LOC COURSE E OF SNAPE AND CONTACTED FLL TWR FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27R. THE REMAINDER OF THE 'NOW' VISUAL APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 558436: WHEN GIVEN THE FINAL VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE ILS APCH TO RWY 27R AT FLL WE WERE UNABLE TO JOIN THE LOC DUE TO A TSTM ON THE LOC COURSE AT JUMAR INTXN. DUE TO THE VECTOR WE HAD NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO DEVIATE TO THE S OF THE LOC APPROX 3-4 MI TO AVOID THE TSTM. THE CTLR SAID TO DO THIS WE WOULD HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMER, SO WE DID.

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.