Narrative:

I checked the WX on line before departure and saw that there were 2 system heading in the direction of ZZZ that morning. One was moving southeast from ZZZ1 and the other was moving ene from ZZZ2. Estimating the distance from ZZZ and the speed of each of these lines of WX; I considered either one to be a potential problem for our time of arrival. I briefed this to my copilot and also mentioned this to the flight attendants and told them to plan to finish and be seated for the descent. Shortly after departure; I queried the dispatcher via ACARS as to the movement of the storms. He concurred that the line moving southeast from ZZZ1 would be meeting us in ZZZ and asked us if we could take a shortcut to arrive as early as possible for the approach. We asked ATC and were granted a turn to ZZZ3 which is on the arrival. The WX en route was clear and smooth. Approaching ZZZ; we could see the storms visually and on radar. The line was approaching the airport from the north; moving sse. We asked ZZZ center to delay our descent; intending to save fuel at higher altitudes and possibly finding a hole to penetrate the line and approach the airport from the north. I told center that due to the WX we were anticipating flying to the north and approaching from that direction. The controller said that airplanes were still making the approach from the south and landing. I said ok; we will set up for runway xxr and took vectors for the approach. On the approach we went through a small band of clouds and turbulence and broke out in the clear about 3 mi from the field. We could see the rain about 1-2 mi north of the airport and we were in the clear when the tower controller said there was a microburst alert on final just south of the field. Per the airway manual we went around and turned out to the east to avoid the WX. We climbed to 4000 ft and queried approach if airplanes were still approaching and landing. He said yes; on runway xxl. We took vectors for that approach and fell in behind a beech 1900. We had to slow to approach speed early because we were only 3 mi behind the 1900. Again at approximately 6 mi from the field; ATC announced a microburst alert 2 mi west of the final. As this was not on final and we were only about 2 1/2 mins from landing; I elected to continue. We were encountering what I would call continuous light turbulence on the approach. At approximately 3 mi out and after the beech 1900 landed; tower asked him for a PIREP. He said he encountered only rain and no windshear. I elected to continue. At approximately 300 ft AGL we saw the approach lights. The copilot was flying and at that point he turned off the autoplt. Shortly thereafter; we got a red windshear alert. We initiated the windshear recovery per air carrier procedures. I backed him up by verifying that the throttles were firewalled. After it was clear that we were climbing well and out of the windshear; I retarded the throttles. At this point we were picking our way through a hole in the WX and I told ATC we were going to continue north and divert to ZZZ1. It took about 10 mins to get clear of the WX on a northbound heading. At some point we heard departure say that the airport was closed and it was not anticipated to reopen for 20 mins. There was no use waiting; as if we had; we would have been below minimum fuel if we were to ultimately divert to another airport. We continued on the arrival for an uneventful landing. After landing; I called the dispatcher and talked to maintenance about the overboost of the engines during the windshear. I told him that we exceeded the egt maximum temperatures for 6-8 seconds and oversped the N1's for 14 seconds. He elected to cancel the flight due to the overboost and said that both engines would need to be changed out. In retrospect: timing is everything. Had we been 2-3 mins earlier or later on the first approach; the microburst may have not been a factor. Had we been 5 or 10 mins later during the arrival we may have just found a hole through the line and held on the north side for 30 mins or so and made an uneventful landing from the north. Had we been 2 mins earlier on the second approach; we would have landed as the beech 1900 did. With hindsight being perfect; what could I have done differently and what have I learned as a captain? I feel that the first apchwas conducted well and as mentioned above; had we been 2 mins earlier we would have had an uneventful landing. The WX was still north of the field. On the second approach; after reviewing the airway manual regarding microbursts; it is apparent that 2 mi west of the final is to be considered affecting the final of the selected runway. Even when there is an aircraft only 3 mi ahead that is not getting/did not get affected by the downdraft. In the future; however; my limits regarding a microburst alert will be much broader. It will depend on the situation for certain; but any microburst in close vicinity to the airport will be cause for great concern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW MAKES TWO ATTEMPTS TO LAND BEFORE DIVERTING DUE TO MICROBURST ALERT AND WINDSHEAR WARNING.

Narrative: I CHKED THE WX ON LINE BEFORE DEP AND SAW THAT THERE WERE 2 SYS HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF ZZZ THAT MORNING. ONE WAS MOVING SE FROM ZZZ1 AND THE OTHER WAS MOVING ENE FROM ZZZ2. ESTIMATING THE DISTANCE FROM ZZZ AND THE SPD OF EACH OF THESE LINES OF WX; I CONSIDERED EITHER ONE TO BE A POTENTIAL PROB FOR OUR TIME OF ARR. I BRIEFED THIS TO MY COPLT AND ALSO MENTIONED THIS TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TOLD THEM TO PLAN TO FINISH AND BE SEATED FOR THE DSCNT. SHORTLY AFTER DEP; I QUERIED THE DISPATCHER VIA ACARS AS TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS. HE CONCURRED THAT THE LINE MOVING SE FROM ZZZ1 WOULD BE MEETING US IN ZZZ AND ASKED US IF WE COULD TAKE A SHORTCUT TO ARRIVE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE FOR THE APCH. WE ASKED ATC AND WERE GRANTED A TURN TO ZZZ3 WHICH IS ON THE ARR. THE WX ENRTE WAS CLR AND SMOOTH. APCHING ZZZ; WE COULD SEE THE STORMS VISUALLY AND ON RADAR. THE LINE WAS APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE N; MOVING SSE. WE ASKED ZZZ CTR TO DELAY OUR DSCNT; INTENDING TO SAVE FUEL AT HIGHER ALTS AND POSSIBLY FINDING A HOLE TO PENETRATE THE LINE AND APCH THE ARPT FROM THE N. I TOLD CTR THAT DUE TO THE WX WE WERE ANTICIPATING FLYING TO THE N AND APCHING FROM THAT DIRECTION. THE CTLR SAID THAT AIRPLANES WERE STILL MAKING THE APCH FROM THE S AND LNDG. I SAID OK; WE WILL SET UP FOR RWY XXR AND TOOK VECTORS FOR THE APCH. ON THE APCH WE WENT THROUGH A SMALL BAND OF CLOUDS AND TURB AND BROKE OUT IN THE CLR ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE FIELD. WE COULD SEE THE RAIN ABOUT 1-2 MI N OF THE ARPT AND WE WERE IN THE CLR WHEN THE TWR CTLR SAID THERE WAS A MICROBURST ALERT ON FINAL JUST S OF THE FIELD. PER THE AIRWAY MANUAL WE WENT AROUND AND TURNED OUT TO THE E TO AVOID THE WX. WE CLBED TO 4000 FT AND QUERIED APCH IF AIRPLANES WERE STILL APCHING AND LNDG. HE SAID YES; ON RWY XXL. WE TOOK VECTORS FOR THAT APCH AND FELL IN BEHIND A BEECH 1900. WE HAD TO SLOW TO APCH SPD EARLY BECAUSE WE WERE ONLY 3 MI BEHIND THE 1900. AGAIN AT APPROX 6 MI FROM THE FIELD; ATC ANNOUNCED A MICROBURST ALERT 2 MI W OF THE FINAL. AS THIS WAS NOT ON FINAL AND WE WERE ONLY ABOUT 2 1/2 MINS FROM LNDG; I ELECTED TO CONTINUE. WE WERE ENCOUNTERING WHAT I WOULD CALL CONTINUOUS LIGHT TURB ON THE APCH. AT APPROX 3 MI OUT AND AFTER THE BEECH 1900 LANDED; TWR ASKED HIM FOR A PIREP. HE SAID HE ENCOUNTERED ONLY RAIN AND NO WINDSHEAR. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE. AT APPROX 300 FT AGL WE SAW THE APCH LIGHTS. THE COPLT WAS FLYING AND AT THAT POINT HE TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE GOT A RED WINDSHEAR ALERT. WE INITIATED THE WINDSHEAR RECOVERY PER ACR PROCS. I BACKED HIM UP BY VERIFYING THAT THE THROTTLES WERE FIREWALLED. AFTER IT WAS CLR THAT WE WERE CLBING WELL AND OUT OF THE WINDSHEAR; I RETARDED THE THROTTLES. AT THIS POINT WE WERE PICKING OUR WAY THROUGH A HOLE IN THE WX AND I TOLD ATC WE WERE GOING TO CONTINUE N AND DIVERT TO ZZZ1. IT TOOK ABOUT 10 MINS TO GET CLR OF THE WX ON A NBOUND HDG. AT SOME POINT WE HEARD DEP SAY THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED AND IT WAS NOT ANTICIPATED TO REOPEN FOR 20 MINS. THERE WAS NO USE WAITING; AS IF WE HAD; WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BELOW MINIMUM FUEL IF WE WERE TO ULTIMATELY DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT. WE CONTINUED ON THE ARRIVAL FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AFTER LNDG; I CALLED THE DISPATCHER AND TALKED TO MAINT ABOUT THE OVERBOOST OF THE ENGS DURING THE WINDSHEAR. I TOLD HIM THAT WE EXCEEDED THE EGT MAX TEMPS FOR 6-8 SECONDS AND OVERSPED THE N1'S FOR 14 SECONDS. HE ELECTED TO CANCEL THE FLT DUE TO THE OVERBOOST AND SAID THAT BOTH ENGS WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED OUT. IN RETROSPECT: TIMING IS EVERYTHING. HAD WE BEEN 2-3 MINS EARLIER OR LATER ON THE FIRST APCH; THE MICROBURST MAY HAVE NOT BEEN A FACTOR. HAD WE BEEN 5 OR 10 MINS LATER DURING THE ARR WE MAY HAVE JUST FOUND A HOLE THROUGH THE LINE AND HELD ON THE N SIDE FOR 30 MINS OR SO AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FROM THE N. HAD WE BEEN 2 MINS EARLIER ON THE SECOND APCH; WE WOULD HAVE LANDED AS THE BEECH 1900 DID. WITH HINDSIGHT BEING PERFECT; WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY AND WHAT HAVE I LEARNED AS A CAPT? I FEEL THAT THE FIRST APCHWAS CONDUCTED WELL AND AS MENTIONED ABOVE; HAD WE BEEN 2 MINS EARLIER WE WOULD HAVE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE WX WAS STILL N OF THE FIELD. ON THE SECOND APCH; AFTER REVIEWING THE AIRWAY MANUAL REGARDING MICROBURSTS; IT IS APPARENT THAT 2 MI W OF THE FINAL IS TO BE CONSIDERED AFFECTING THE FINAL OF THE SELECTED RWY. EVEN WHEN THERE IS AN ACFT ONLY 3 MI AHEAD THAT IS NOT GETTING/DID NOT GET AFFECTED BY THE DOWNDRAFT. IN THE FUTURE; HOWEVER; MY LIMITS REGARDING A MICROBURST ALERT WILL BE MUCH BROADER. IT WILL DEPEND ON THE SITUATION FOR CERTAIN; BUT ANY MICROBURST IN CLOSE VICINITY TO THE ARPT WILL BE CAUSE FOR GREAT CONCERN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.