Narrative:

Flight was dispatched to tul with VFR arrival fuel as the WX packet contained no indication of WX which would meet far criteria for a destination alternate. Swift radar observations; tp charts; forecasts and prognostic charts revealed anticipated hazards for neither the en route nor terminal phase of the flight. From 180-200 mi from the destination; the radar was utilized in 160 mi scale to sweep the terminal environment. There were no discernible cells or any other returns as the antenna angle was moved up and down in order to move the ground return from the middle of the display to the outer edge (WX mode selected). The flight descended into the tul airport and as the altitude decreased and the radar's ability to look up was improved; the cells surrounding the terminal environment became clearly observable at around 4000 ft AGL. At this point the tower was acting as the final approach controller and credit must now be given to the FAA for what is the best job by a controller I have seen in 19 yrs of military and civilian flying. The controller began by using a concise stream of descriptive communication to paint a picture of WX location; intensity; reported microburst activity; winds; and runway availability. He then went on to describe various options available to us. At this point; the flight conditions were VFR but we were maneuvering to avoid several level 4 returns on our radar. To facilitate our situational awareness; the tower controller turned the lights on runway 8 to their highest setting. He told us from where we were; we could enter a right base and land on runway 8 if we could see the field. Our fuel was now 5200 pounds and runway 8 appeared clearly in front and to our right. My first officer was flying and I asked if he saw the runway; at which point he hesitated and said he didn't know if he could land from our present position. At this point; I announced I had the aircraft. We were configured flaps 5 degrees at 180 KTS. I called for the gear and configured for a flaps 40 degree approach. The aircraft touched down on centerline approximately 1100 ft from the threshold and we stopped with about 2000 ft of runway remaining. One of the memories burned into my brain as a young military carrier pilot was how quickly you can get yourself in trouble at low altitude when fuel flows are high and you are trying to land. I knew instinctively that time was not on my side and every moment spent maneuvering at 2000 ft with the fuel I had was quickly taking away options; and none of them were very good. This aircraft made it safely on deck due to the outstanding work of the FAA and the skills of the flight crew. What dispatch needs to know is that they have capabilities we don't in the cockpit and if they don't use them; people can find themselves in real trouble.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS WX AT DEST WHICH WAS NOT FORECAST IN DISPATCH WX AND CREDITS OUTSTANDING CTLR ASSISTANCE AS A FACTOR IN SUCCESSFUL APCH AND LNDG.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED TO TUL WITH VFR ARR FUEL AS THE WX PACKET CONTAINED NO INDICATION OF WX WHICH WOULD MEET FAR CRITERIA FOR A DEST ALTERNATE. SWIFT RADAR OBSERVATIONS; TP CHARTS; FORECASTS AND PROGNOSTIC CHARTS REVEALED ANTICIPATED HAZARDS FOR NEITHER THE ENRTE NOR TERMINAL PHASE OF THE FLT. FROM 180-200 MI FROM THE DEST; THE RADAR WAS UTILIZED IN 160 MI SCALE TO SWEEP THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT. THERE WERE NO DISCERNIBLE CELLS OR ANY OTHER RETURNS AS THE ANTENNA ANGLE WAS MOVED UP AND DOWN IN ORDER TO MOVE THE GND RETURN FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE DISPLAY TO THE OUTER EDGE (WX MODE SELECTED). THE FLT DSNDED INTO THE TUL ARPT AND AS THE ALT DECREASED AND THE RADAR'S ABILITY TO LOOK UP WAS IMPROVED; THE CELLS SURROUNDING THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT BECAME CLRLY OBSERVABLE AT AROUND 4000 FT AGL. AT THIS POINT THE TWR WAS ACTING AS THE FINAL APCH CTLR AND CREDIT MUST NOW BE GIVEN TO THE FAA FOR WHAT IS THE BEST JOB BY A CTLR I HAVE SEEN IN 19 YRS OF MIL AND CIVILIAN FLYING. THE CTLR BEGAN BY USING A CONCISE STREAM OF DESCRIPTIVE COM TO PAINT A PICTURE OF WX LOCATION; INTENSITY; RPTED MICROBURST ACTIVITY; WINDS; AND RWY AVAILABILITY. HE THEN WENT ON TO DESCRIBE VARIOUS OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US. AT THIS POINT; THE FLT CONDITIONS WERE VFR BUT WE WERE MANEUVERING TO AVOID SEVERAL LEVEL 4 RETURNS ON OUR RADAR. TO FACILITATE OUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; THE TWR CTLR TURNED THE LIGHTS ON RWY 8 TO THEIR HIGHEST SETTING. HE TOLD US FROM WHERE WE WERE; WE COULD ENTER A R BASE AND LAND ON RWY 8 IF WE COULD SEE THE FIELD. OUR FUEL WAS NOW 5200 LBS AND RWY 8 APPEARED CLRLY IN FRONT AND TO OUR R. MY FO WAS FLYING AND I ASKED IF HE SAW THE RWY; AT WHICH POINT HE HESITATED AND SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE COULD LAND FROM OUR PRESENT POS. AT THIS POINT; I ANNOUNCED I HAD THE ACFT. WE WERE CONFIGURED FLAPS 5 DEGS AT 180 KTS. I CALLED FOR THE GEAR AND CONFIGURED FOR A FLAPS 40 DEG APCH. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ON CTRLINE APPROX 1100 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD AND WE STOPPED WITH ABOUT 2000 FT OF RWY REMAINING. ONE OF THE MEMORIES BURNED INTO MY BRAIN AS A YOUNG MIL CARRIER PLT WAS HOW QUICKLY YOU CAN GET YOURSELF IN TROUBLE AT LOW ALT WHEN FUEL FLOWS ARE HIGH AND YOU ARE TRYING TO LAND. I KNEW INSTINCTIVELY THAT TIME WAS NOT ON MY SIDE AND EVERY MOMENT SPENT MANEUVERING AT 2000 FT WITH THE FUEL I HAD WAS QUICKLY TAKING AWAY OPTIONS; AND NONE OF THEM WERE VERY GOOD. THIS ACFT MADE IT SAFELY ON DECK DUE TO THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF THE FAA AND THE SKILLS OF THE FLT CREW. WHAT DISPATCH NEEDS TO KNOW IS THAT THEY HAVE CAPABILITIES WE DON'T IN THE COCKPIT AND IF THEY DON'T USE THEM; PEOPLE CAN FIND THEMSELVES IN REAL TROUBLE.

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.