Narrative:

Severe line of thunderstorm in area and blocking route to airport. Approach control advised us from 40 mi out of pittsburgh to base leg that there was a thunderstorm very near if not right over field at our estimated time of arrival. They advised numerous lightning strikes. Winds on base leg were 1406 and on short final they were 2318. Everybody else was holding to let the WX pass. Captain was going to land no matter what. As we crossed the numbers at 180 KTS (about 45 above bug speed) we flew into a wall of water. Luckily we landed without incident. During our approach ATC asked several (at least 3 times) times what our intentions were. As we pulled into the gate, all ramp personnel had been cleared due to lightning. I told the captain I didn't approve of his decisions and felt he put the airplane in an unsafe position and I got off the trip. During our arrival phase I suggested we land at cle or hold somewhere and let the WX pass. He just more or less ignored me and continued to land with a thunderstorm directly overhead. To top it off we landed with 14100 pounds of fuel, that is 2 1/2 hours. I don't know why he felt so compelled to land. I've contacted our union's professional standards to talk to him. Also besides landing with a thunderstorm over the field he penetrated the line to get to the airport. This line was level 2 and 4's, showed heavy red on the radar on the 50 mi range. Captain told me to hang on and expect heavy turbulence and hail. I still can't believe his judgement. The autoplt held our altitude within 300' of the assigned 5000' MSL. Once we broke out of the line he flew 300 KTS at 5000' to try to beat it to the airport instead we arrived at the same time. Captain seemed to think since we made it without crashing it must have been safe and his judgement sound. I could not condone this happening so like I said I got off the trip. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following. The association and company have made a review of the incident but no penalties were assigned to the captain. Safety/standards rep thinks that the captain will probably be more circumspect in the future but only time will tell. Company took no action against the first officer for getting off the trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LANDED AT PIT IN HEAVY TSTM ACTIVITY. PIC COULD NOT BE PERSUADED TO HOLD OR DIVERT. FO GOT OFF THE TRIP AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: SEVERE LINE OF TSTM IN AREA AND BLOCKING RTE TO ARPT. APCH CTL ADVISED US FROM 40 MI OUT OF PITTSBURGH TO BASE LEG THAT THERE WAS A TSTM VERY NEAR IF NOT RIGHT OVER FIELD AT OUR ESTIMATED TIME OF ARR. THEY ADVISED NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. WINDS ON BASE LEG WERE 1406 AND ON SHORT FINAL THEY WERE 2318. EVERYBODY ELSE WAS HOLDING TO LET THE WX PASS. CAPT WAS GOING TO LAND NO MATTER WHAT. AS WE CROSSED THE NUMBERS AT 180 KTS (ABOUT 45 ABOVE BUG SPD) WE FLEW INTO A WALL OF WATER. LUCKILY WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING OUR APCH ATC ASKED SEVERAL (AT LEAST 3 TIMES) TIMES WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE. AS WE PULLED INTO THE GATE, ALL RAMP PERSONNEL HAD BEEN CLRED DUE TO LIGHTNING. I TOLD THE CAPT I DIDN'T APPROVE OF HIS DECISIONS AND FELT HE PUT THE AIRPLANE IN AN UNSAFE POS AND I GOT OFF THE TRIP. DURING OUR ARR PHASE I SUGGESTED WE LAND AT CLE OR HOLD SOMEWHERE AND LET THE WX PASS. HE JUST MORE OR LESS IGNORED ME AND CONTINUED TO LAND WITH A TSTM DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. TO TOP IT OFF WE LANDED WITH 14100 LBS OF FUEL, THAT IS 2 1/2 HOURS. I DON'T KNOW WHY HE FELT SO COMPELLED TO LAND. I'VE CONTACTED OUR UNION'S PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS TO TALK TO HIM. ALSO BESIDES LNDG WITH A TSTM OVER THE FIELD HE PENETRATED THE LINE TO GET TO THE ARPT. THIS LINE WAS LEVEL 2 AND 4'S, SHOWED HEAVY RED ON THE RADAR ON THE 50 MI RANGE. CAPT TOLD ME TO HANG ON AND EXPECT HEAVY TURB AND HAIL. I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HIS JUDGEMENT. THE AUTOPLT HELD OUR ALT WITHIN 300' OF THE ASSIGNED 5000' MSL. ONCE WE BROKE OUT OF THE LINE HE FLEW 300 KTS AT 5000' TO TRY TO BEAT IT TO THE ARPT INSTEAD WE ARRIVED AT THE SAME TIME. CAPT SEEMED TO THINK SINCE WE MADE IT WITHOUT CRASHING IT MUST HAVE BEEN SAFE AND HIS JUDGEMENT SOUND. I COULD NOT CONDONE THIS HAPPENING SO LIKE I SAID I GOT OFF THE TRIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING. THE ASSOCIATION AND COMPANY HAVE MADE A REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT BUT NO PENALTIES WERE ASSIGNED TO THE CAPT. SAFETY/STANDARDS REP THINKS THAT THE CAPT WILL PROBABLY BE MORE CIRCUMSPECT IN THE FUTURE BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL. COMPANY TOOK NO ACTION AGAINST THE F/O FOR GETTING OFF THE TRIP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.