A B737-300 flight crew encountered unforecast hail; windshear; and microbursts on approach to lit. T...

Attributes
ACN	705492
Time
Date	200608
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lit.airport
State Reference	AR
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Turbulence Windshear Rain Thunderstorm other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lit.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	705492
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Flying to lit in a B737-300. Our dispatch release showed that no alternate was required due to the WX conditions in lit and a planned arrival fuel of 7.6 into lit. On descent passing through 10000 ft; ATC informed us degraded WX conditions at lit. On our first approach to runway 22R; ATC notified us of windshear; microbursts and hail at the airport; so we discontinued our approach and headed back out. After a runway change to runway 4L; we decided we did not have enough fuel to divert to tul; so we decided to shoot the approach to runway 4L. Due to gusting winds in excess of 50 KTS; hail; windshear and microbursts reported by the tower; we decided it would be unsafe to land in lit. Again we discontinued the approach with about 5000 pounds of fuel remaining. At this time we were trying to coordination with ATC to divert to the closest suitable airport. After breaking out of the alternates package; the 2 airports suggested were hot springs; ar; which was only 25 mi away with a 6500 ft runway; or memphis which was 135 mi away with a larger runway and more suitable for heavy aircraft. There was an FAA jumpseater in our cockpit and it was decided we would divert to mem. We landed uneventfully in mem with about 3.5 on the fuel. Unexpected WX conditions in lit along with no planned alternate and/or no additional fuel were contributing factors to this event.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST HAIL; WINDSHEAR; AND MICROBURSTS ON APCH TO LIT. THEY DISCONTINUED THE APCH AND DIVERTED TO MEM.

Narrative: FLYING TO LIT IN A B737-300. OUR DISPATCH RELEASE SHOWED THAT NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED DUE TO THE WX CONDITIONS IN LIT AND A PLANNED ARR FUEL OF 7.6 INTO LIT. ON DSCNT PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT; ATC INFORMED US DEGRADED WX CONDITIONS AT LIT. ON OUR FIRST APCH TO RWY 22R; ATC NOTIFIED US OF WINDSHEAR; MICROBURSTS AND HAIL AT THE ARPT; SO WE DISCONTINUED OUR APCH AND HEADED BACK OUT. AFTER A RWY CHANGE TO RWY 4L; WE DECIDED WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO DIVERT TO TUL; SO WE DECIDED TO SHOOT THE APCH TO RWY 4L. DUE TO GUSTING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 KTS; HAIL; WINDSHEAR AND MICROBURSTS RPTED BY THE TWR; WE DECIDED IT WOULD BE UNSAFE TO LAND IN LIT. AGAIN WE DISCONTINUED THE APCH WITH ABOUT 5000 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TRYING TO COORD WITH ATC TO DIVERT TO THE CLOSEST SUITABLE ARPT. AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE ALTERNATES PACKAGE; THE 2 ARPTS SUGGESTED WERE HOT SPRINGS; AR; WHICH WAS ONLY 25 MI AWAY WITH A 6500 FT RWY; OR MEMPHIS WHICH WAS 135 MI AWAY WITH A LARGER RWY AND MORE SUITABLE FOR HVY ACFT. THERE WAS AN FAA JUMPSEATER IN OUR COCKPIT AND IT WAS DECIDED WE WOULD DIVERT TO MEM. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN MEM WITH ABOUT 3.5 ON THE FUEL. UNEXPECTED WX CONDITIONS IN LIT ALONG WITH NO PLANNED ALTERNATE AND/OR NO ADDITIONAL FUEL WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT.

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.

A B737-300 flight crew encountered unforecast hail; windshear; and microbursts on approach to lit. They discontinued the approach and diverted to mem.