Narrative:

ZHU has kept us very high going into harlingen and then requested an unreasonable crossing restriction. We told them we were unable and were given a right 360 degree turn. We had been watching a heavy WX area just to the west of the airport. We completed the 360 degree turn on an intercept to the localizer and determined that the cells were still to the west of the airport. However, on joining the localizer, visibility observation and a couple rough jolts led us to abandon the approach at about 2000', 9-10 mi out. With no radar available from approach, they were of little help. I elected to turn 30 degrees left off the localizer and climb and told them what I was doing. There was no way I would continue to the missed approach point. Our actions in not continuing the approach was unquestionably correct; however, in reviewing the action I took, it occurs to me that maybe I should have declared an emergency to justify my WX avoidance maneuver. There is too much traffic, too many airports and too much WX in the rio grande area of tx not to have a radar at the brownsville approach facility. I feel that the absence of ground based radar at the approach facility denied me a clearer picture of the WX situation as well as denying me greater assistance and confidence in my evasive maneuver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW COMPLAINT ABOUT NO WX RADAR AT BRO.

Narrative: ZHU HAS KEPT US VERY HIGH GOING INTO HARLINGEN AND THEN REQUESTED AN UNREASONABLE XING RESTRICTION. WE TOLD THEM WE WERE UNABLE AND WERE GIVEN A RIGHT 360 DEG TURN. WE HAD BEEN WATCHING A HEAVY WX AREA JUST TO THE W OF THE ARPT. WE COMPLETED THE 360 DEG TURN ON AN INTERCEPT TO THE LOC AND DETERMINED THAT THE CELLS WERE STILL TO THE W OF THE ARPT. HOWEVER, ON JOINING THE LOC, VIS OBSERVATION AND A COUPLE ROUGH JOLTS LED US TO ABANDON THE APCH AT ABOUT 2000', 9-10 MI OUT. WITH NO RADAR AVAILABLE FROM APCH, THEY WERE OF LITTLE HELP. I ELECTED TO TURN 30 DEGS LEFT OFF THE LOC AND CLB AND TOLD THEM WHAT I WAS DOING. THERE WAS NO WAY I WOULD CONTINUE TO THE MISSED APCH POINT. OUR ACTIONS IN NOT CONTINUING THE APCH WAS UNQUESTIONABLY CORRECT; HOWEVER, IN REVIEWING THE ACTION I TOOK, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER TO JUSTIFY MY WX AVOIDANCE MANEUVER. THERE IS TOO MUCH TFC, TOO MANY ARPTS AND TOO MUCH WX IN THE RIO GRANDE AREA OF TX NOT TO HAVE A RADAR AT THE BROWNSVILLE APCH FAC. I FEEL THAT THE ABSENCE OF GND BASED RADAR AT THE APCH FAC DENIED ME A CLEARER PICTURE OF THE WX SITUATION AS WELL AS DENYING ME GREATER ASSISTANCE AND CONFIDENCE IN MY EVASIVE MANEUVER.

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.