Narrative:

En route to ZZZ; the captain tracked a line of thunderstorms that was due to arrive at ZZZ at about our ETA of XA15. The ATIS at XA00 had a wind of approximately 290 degrees at 15 KTS; with lndgs on runway 17L/right. As we started our final approach to runway 17R; we heard the aircraft ahead of us announce a go around due to excessive tailwinds and the winds on our INS showed the strong westerly winds at approximately 2500 ft AGL from 290 degrees and 35 KTS now shifting rapidly to approximately 320 degrees and 35 KTS. I had the #3 INS display the tailwind component and started calling these out to the pilots. Between 2000-1000 ft AGL; the tailwind component varied from 25-35 KTS. The approach was continued with no comment from either pilot. As we continued through 1000 ft AGL; the tailwind varied from 15-25 KTS and the ZZZ tower advised that a 'gust front' was now directly over the field. We were in moderate rain and the runway was wet. The approach was continued with no comment from either pilot and I continued to call out the tailwind components now between 15-20 KTS. I anticipated that the captain would initiate a missed approach at any moment now that he was well aware that an excessive tailwind would exist right to touchdown. The captain was carrying some extra airspeed due to the windshear reported by the preceding aircraft and continued the approach -- much to my amazement -- to touchdown. The touchdown with the tailwind and extra speed was at least 4000 ft down runway 17R in my estimation; maybe closer to 5000 ft. My comment at touchdown was 'you'll never get this thing stopped.' fortunately he did. We landed at approximately 544000 pounds with approximately 56000 pounds of fuel; so a missed approach followed by an approach to runway 35L was never a problem. After parking; he responded to my inquiry about the excessive tailwinds by stating that the INS was not that reliable during approach. I guess he decided that he didn't have to consider the high tailwind readouts. As we exited the aircraft; we observed that runway 35L was now the landing runway! About 30 mins later I was at a computer in the crew flight planning room when I heard a pilot next to me telling a group of fellow pilots about the B747 landing that he had just witnessed on runway 17R. The pilot said that he observed our aircraft land about 1/2 way down the runway and go by his parking position so fast that he was concerned that we would run off the runway. The decision to continue this approach to a landing on runway 17R; by these 2 experienced pilots; with all the external and onboard clues indicating that this was not the best course of action is about the worst display of judgement and airmanship that I have witnessed in 18 yrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FE RPTS PLTS IGNORED HIS ADVOCACY FOR GAR BASED ON EXCESSIVE TAILWIND READINGS FROM INS. LNDG WELL BEYOND TOUCHDOWN ZONE RESULTS.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ZZZ; THE CAPT TRACKED A LINE OF TSTMS THAT WAS DUE TO ARRIVE AT ZZZ AT ABOUT OUR ETA OF XA15. THE ATIS AT XA00 HAD A WIND OF APPROX 290 DEGS AT 15 KTS; WITH LNDGS ON RWY 17L/R. AS WE STARTED OUR FINAL APCH TO RWY 17R; WE HEARD THE ACFT AHEAD OF US ANNOUNCE A GAR DUE TO EXCESSIVE TAILWINDS AND THE WINDS ON OUR INS SHOWED THE STRONG WESTERLY WINDS AT APPROX 2500 FT AGL FROM 290 DEGS AND 35 KTS NOW SHIFTING RAPIDLY TO APPROX 320 DEGS AND 35 KTS. I HAD THE #3 INS DISPLAY THE TAILWIND COMPONENT AND STARTED CALLING THESE OUT TO THE PLTS. BTWN 2000-1000 FT AGL; THE TAILWIND COMPONENT VARIED FROM 25-35 KTS. THE APCH WAS CONTINUED WITH NO COMMENT FROM EITHER PLT. AS WE CONTINUED THROUGH 1000 FT AGL; THE TAILWIND VARIED FROM 15-25 KTS AND THE ZZZ TWR ADVISED THAT A 'GUST FRONT' WAS NOW DIRECTLY OVER THE FIELD. WE WERE IN MODERATE RAIN AND THE RWY WAS WET. THE APCH WAS CONTINUED WITH NO COMMENT FROM EITHER PLT AND I CONTINUED TO CALL OUT THE TAILWIND COMPONENTS NOW BTWN 15-20 KTS. I ANTICIPATED THAT THE CAPT WOULD INITIATE A MISSED APCH AT ANY MOMENT NOW THAT HE WAS WELL AWARE THAT AN EXCESSIVE TAILWIND WOULD EXIST RIGHT TO TOUCHDOWN. THE CAPT WAS CARRYING SOME EXTRA AIRSPD DUE TO THE WINDSHEAR RPTED BY THE PRECEDING ACFT AND CONTINUED THE APCH -- MUCH TO MY AMAZEMENT -- TO TOUCHDOWN. THE TOUCHDOWN WITH THE TAILWIND AND EXTRA SPD WAS AT LEAST 4000 FT DOWN RWY 17R IN MY ESTIMATION; MAYBE CLOSER TO 5000 FT. MY COMMENT AT TOUCHDOWN WAS 'YOU'LL NEVER GET THIS THING STOPPED.' FORTUNATELY HE DID. WE LANDED AT APPROX 544000 LBS WITH APPROX 56000 LBS OF FUEL; SO A MISSED APCH FOLLOWED BY AN APCH TO RWY 35L WAS NEVER A PROB. AFTER PARKING; HE RESPONDED TO MY INQUIRY ABOUT THE EXCESSIVE TAILWINDS BY STATING THAT THE INS WAS NOT THAT RELIABLE DURING APCH. I GUESS HE DECIDED THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TO CONSIDER THE HIGH TAILWIND READOUTS. AS WE EXITED THE ACFT; WE OBSERVED THAT RWY 35L WAS NOW THE LNDG RWY! ABOUT 30 MINS LATER I WAS AT A COMPUTER IN THE CREW FLT PLANNING ROOM WHEN I HEARD A PLT NEXT TO ME TELLING A GROUP OF FELLOW PLTS ABOUT THE B747 LNDG THAT HE HAD JUST WITNESSED ON RWY 17R. THE PLT SAID THAT HE OBSERVED OUR ACFT LAND ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY AND GO BY HIS PARKING POS SO FAST THAT HE WAS CONCERNED THAT WE WOULD RUN OFF THE RWY. THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THIS APCH TO A LNDG ON RWY 17R; BY THESE 2 EXPERIENCED PLTS; WITH ALL THE EXTERNAL AND ONBOARD CLUES INDICATING THAT THIS WAS NOT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS ABOUT THE WORST DISPLAY OF JUDGEMENT AND AIRMANSHIP THAT I HAVE WITNESSED IN 18 YRS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.