37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 697262 |
Time | |
Date | 200605 |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : den.airport |
State Reference | CO |
Altitude | msl single value : 7000 |
Environment | |
Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
Light | Night |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tower : den.tower |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | A319 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 35l |
Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : missed approach |
Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1300 |
ASRS Report | 697262 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Events | |
Anomaly | inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other |
Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : gpws other controllera other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : executed go around |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Weather |
Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
Inside OM runway 35L at 6500 ft on ILS; thunderstorm overhead and southwest of field. Virga observed; but not reaching ground level. Aircraft ahead reporting loss of 10 KTS on short final. We were gear down flaps 3 degrees when tower issued a microburst alert runway 35R. Next issued microburst alert runway 35L. We were issued go around instructions; climb straight ahead; maintain 7000 ft. Turns and other altitudes not available due parallel and overhead traffic. Initiated soft go around. Accelerating at 7000 ft and flaps 2 degrees; received 'windshear ahead' aural warning. Elected to remain at flaps 2 degrees and 180 KTS rather than get caught in windshear during flap retraction. Flew into strong updraft. Could not maintain airspeed even at idle thrust. Result was flap overspd of 10 KTS for approximately 4 seconds. No unusual vibration noticed. Flaps retracted normally once past the updraft. The only way to avoid flying under the thunderstorm would have been an immediate right turn when issued microburst alert; but this was not possible due to parallel traffic also going around runway heading on runway 35R. Had we had any indications of the impending microburst we would not have begun the approach; but the microburst caught all aircraft on approach and the tower by surprise. In retrospect; I obviously should have elected not to start the approach. However; I felt that I had taken all reasonable precautions given the circumstances. In the future; I will give more consideration to other traffic and how it might affect my go around options.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A319 ENCOUNTERS MICROBURST ACTIVITY DURING APCH TO RWY 35R DEN; EXECUTES A GAR AND HAS AN EGPWS WINDSHEAR ALERT.
Narrative: INSIDE OM RWY 35L AT 6500 FT ON ILS; TSTM OVERHEAD AND SW OF FIELD. VIRGA OBSERVED; BUT NOT REACHING GND LEVEL. ACFT AHEAD RPTING LOSS OF 10 KTS ON SHORT FINAL. WE WERE GEAR DOWN FLAPS 3 DEGS WHEN TWR ISSUED A MICROBURST ALERT RWY 35R. NEXT ISSUED MICROBURST ALERT RWY 35L. WE WERE ISSUED GAR INSTRUCTIONS; CLB STRAIGHT AHEAD; MAINTAIN 7000 FT. TURNS AND OTHER ALTS NOT AVAILABLE DUE PARALLEL AND OVERHEAD TFC. INITIATED SOFT GAR. ACCELERATING AT 7000 FT AND FLAPS 2 DEGS; RECEIVED 'WINDSHEAR AHEAD' AURAL WARNING. ELECTED TO REMAIN AT FLAPS 2 DEGS AND 180 KTS RATHER THAN GET CAUGHT IN WINDSHEAR DURING FLAP RETRACTION. FLEW INTO STRONG UPDRAFT. COULD NOT MAINTAIN AIRSPD EVEN AT IDLE THRUST. RESULT WAS FLAP OVERSPD OF 10 KTS FOR APPROX 4 SECONDS. NO UNUSUAL VIBRATION NOTICED. FLAPS RETRACTED NORMALLY ONCE PAST THE UPDRAFT. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID FLYING UNDER THE TSTM WOULD HAVE BEEN AN IMMEDIATE R TURN WHEN ISSUED MICROBURST ALERT; BUT THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO PARALLEL TFC ALSO GOING AROUND RWY HDG ON RWY 35R. HAD WE HAD ANY INDICATIONS OF THE IMPENDING MICROBURST WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEGUN THE APCH; BUT THE MICROBURST CAUGHT ALL ACFT ON APCH AND THE TWR BY SURPRISE. IN RETROSPECT; I OBVIOUSLY SHOULD HAVE ELECTED NOT TO START THE APCH. HOWEVER; I FELT THAT I HAD TAKEN ALL REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL GIVE MORE CONSIDERATION TO OTHER TFC AND HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT MY GAR OPTIONS.
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.