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An A320 flight crew maneuver their aircraft to avoid a tornado at iad without the tower's permission because the tower had evacuate/evacuationed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 631090 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200409 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iad.airport |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | other |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 631090 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
On a scheduled ferry flight from iad. No passenger or flight attendants. Pushback and taxi out were normal. After approximately 1 hour of taxi time, we ended up holding short of runway 19L at iad. Tower reported a tornado 5 mi south of the field moving north. Approximately 10 mins later, the tower said they were evacing. From my viewpoint, I could look to the south. It appeared the tornado/WX system were headed to the north, over the terminal buildings. Looking south down runway 19L, it looked as if the south part of the field along the runway was the best place to avoid the storm. I then exercised my emergency authority/authorized and made announcements on ground and tower frequencys that I was entering runway 19L and proceeding sbound. I did so, along with numerous other aircraft, and exited on taxiway K8. I then reported clear of the runway. We watched the tornado go north of the field and make ground contact approximately 2 mi north of our previous position. Tower and ground controllers returned to their stations approximately 5 mins later. Remainder of the flight was uneventful.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 FLT CREW MANEUVER THEIR ACFT TO AVOID A TORNADO AT IAD WITHOUT THE TWR'S PERMISSION BECAUSE THE TWR HAD EVACED.
Narrative: ON A SCHEDULED FERRY FLT FROM IAD. NO PAX OR FLT ATTENDANTS. PUSHBACK AND TAXI OUT WERE NORMAL. AFTER APPROX 1 HR OF TAXI TIME, WE ENDED UP HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 19L AT IAD. TWR RPTED A TORNADO 5 MI S OF THE FIELD MOVING N. APPROX 10 MINS LATER, THE TWR SAID THEY WERE EVACING. FROM MY VIEWPOINT, I COULD LOOK TO THE S. IT APPEARED THE TORNADO/WX SYS WERE HEADED TO THE N, OVER THE TERMINAL BUILDINGS. LOOKING S DOWN RWY 19L, IT LOOKED AS IF THE S PART OF THE FIELD ALONG THE RWY WAS THE BEST PLACE TO AVOID THE STORM. I THEN EXERCISED MY EMER AUTH AND MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON GND AND TWR FREQS THAT I WAS ENTERING RWY 19L AND PROCEEDING SBOUND. I DID SO, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS OTHER ACFT, AND EXITED ON TXWY K8. I THEN RPTED CLR OF THE RWY. WE WATCHED THE TORNADO GO N OF THE FIELD AND MAKE GND CONTACT APPROX 2 MI N OF OUR PREVIOUS POS. TWR AND GND CTLRS RETURNED TO THEIR STATIONS APPROX 5 MINS LATER. REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.
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.