A Public Service/Safety Plea

[aewanabe]

Guys/gals,

Waiting to depart TPA yesterday we were informed by tower it would be a several minute delay as the Tracon had tight spacing for arrivals, due to an approaching storm. This was departing 18L with 18R closed. As the storm moved closer we refused one initial departure heading due to what we could see on our radar, and offered to move from the #1 spot if anyone else wanted to try it. No one behind us did.

Tower dialogue during the next few arrivals: "XYZ 123, cleared to land, windshear alert 18L reports loss of 15 knots arrival end, 30 knots, mid-field". This progressively increased to "ABC 456, cleared to land 18L, MICROBURST alert 18L, winds 210/31 Gust 38" with no comment from the landing aircraft. The response after landing by all arrivals was "we had a good ride down final".

After the arrival string ended tower offered us position and hold and we could pick the heading. We responded that we would not accept any heading until the W/S and Microburst alerts had ended. 5 minutes later the airport was clear and we took off.

All of us in the industry got lucky yesterday. I'm very familiar with get-there-itis, Macho attitudes (the guy in front of me made it), etc.. and have done some damned stupid things before. I'm just trying to imagine the NTSB hearings with Microburst warnings on the ATC tapes and CVR, and another pilot's families having to live the hell of knowing their deceased loved ones ********************ed up.

The Metar for TPA during this time read 1/2 mile +TSRA; radar tops were 500 and above. Please, everyone, take a few moments and think; Slow down the operation, Spin the jet, go to the damned alternate. Remember that DL 191 had a Learjet land successfully through the same stuff. The guy in front of you getting away with it is no guarantee that you will. The folks in the back and our loved ones are counting on us all to have better judgment than that.

PS: All of these landings we witnessed involved medium-gauge narrow-body equipment from Legacy, National, and LCC carriers that either are not hiring or have folks on furlough, including one from my company. No snot-nosed regional kids doing the dumb stuff here.

 

[radarlove]

When I was a new captain, I followed two SWA airplanes into the air during a "microburst alert". Whoah, what a ride. Just like the simulator! First and last time.

What you witnessed was a powerful psychological mechanism known as "social proof". If the pilots saw the guys continue to land, they continue to land. The first guy to break the chain (refuses to land or takeoff) ends up like the Pied Piper with everyone following his lead.

USA Today did a great article on AA jets and thunderstorms at DFW. They just kept pounding through the worst until one bright spark refused, then everyone followed him, refusing.

I don't know that a plea to "be smart" is going to do much good. A flight manual restriction on not landing or taking off during a microburst alert seems smart.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

I can't even imagine continuing to land under those conditions...Especially if any of those planes were DL knowing the company history of DL 191. Absolutely rediculous.

 

[luckytohaveajob]

good thread

safety over comfort and schedule

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Yep, I am everyone I have ever flown with would have gone around. Even if it meant going to MCO.
I like the fact that they guys I fly with here are generally very safe.

 

[Tristar]

Great post - thanks for the reminder to all of us. It's tough to be the first guy who says "no," but really, that's what we're paid for.

 

[machophil]

great topic, thanks for posting. hopefully the sycophants bemoaning gulfstreamers and newspapers in the cockpit take time to read this thread.

 

[Tristar]

Hey Macho -

Already read and responded - see above.

One does not exclude the other...

 

[Broke in CVG]

We get payed by the minute. A minute on the ground pays just the same as a minute in the air.

 

[HA25]

When I was a new captain, I followed two SWA airplanes into the air during a "microburst alert". Whoah, what a ride. Just like the simulator! First and last time.

What you witnessed was a powerful psychological mechanism known as "social proof". If the pilots saw the guys continue to land, they continue to land. The first guy to break the chain (refuses to land or takeoff) ends up like the Pied Piper with everyone following his lead.

USA Today did a great article on AA jets and thunderstorms at DFW. They just kept pounding through the worst until one bright spark refused, then everyone followed him, refusing.

I don't know that a plea to "be smart" is going to do much good. A flight manual restriction on not landing or taking off during a microburst alert seems smart.

As a brand new ATR CA in ATL back in the late 90's I took it around do to a micro burst alert (and I saw the darn thing myself too!).. while landing on the southside... There wasn't much of a though process involved in it.. I looked a the FO and he looked at me... we both nodded and he call that "we're going around"