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B767-300 crew returned to their departure airport after the WX radar malfunctioned. They were in the intertropical convergence zone in tncf airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 636825 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200411 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tncf.artcc |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : tncf.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767-300 and 300 ER |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic enroute airway : ul304.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : relief pilot |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 1100 |
| ASRS Report | 636825 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : wx radar other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
After returning from my rest break in the cabin, I was informed by the captain that the WX radar was not functioning properly and that they were talking to dispatch about routing to sbgl. I inquired and was told by the other first officer that dispatch was confident that we could avoid thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of 10's latitude if we rerted on a different airway to the east. I advocated continuing to sbgl as the path of least risk, considering the fact that the sun would be rising in about 2 hours heading sbound and that we were already almost 1/2 way there, and turning around and returning to iad (our only other option) would put us in night flight the rest of the flight and take us through areas of thunderstorms we had already passed through. The captain decided to return to iad. We returned to iad without further incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B767-300 CREW RETURNED TO THEIR DEP ARPT AFTER THE WX RADAR MALFUNCTIONED. THEY WERE IN THE INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE IN TNCF AIRSPACE.
Narrative: AFTER RETURNING FROM MY REST BREAK IN THE CABIN, I WAS INFORMED BY THE CAPT THAT THE WX RADAR WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THAT THEY WERE TALKING TO DISPATCH ABOUT ROUTING TO SBGL. I INQUIRED AND WAS TOLD BY THE OTHER FO THAT DISPATCH WAS CONFIDENT THAT WE COULD AVOID TSTM ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF 10'S LATITUDE IF WE RERTED ON A DIFFERENT AIRWAY TO THE E. I ADVOCATED CONTINUING TO SBGL AS THE PATH OF LEAST RISK, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE SUN WOULD BE RISING IN ABOUT 2 HRS HDG SBOUND AND THAT WE WERE ALREADY ALMOST 1/2 WAY THERE, AND TURNING AROUND AND RETURNING TO IAD (OUR ONLY OTHER OPTION) WOULD PUT US IN NIGHT FLT THE REST OF THE FLT AND TAKE US THROUGH AREAS OF TSTMS WE HAD ALREADY PASSED THROUGH. THE CAPT DECIDED TO RETURN TO IAD. WE RETURNED TO IAD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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.