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Air carrier widebody transport refused takeoff clearance when party line conversation revealed possibility of wind shear during takeoff roll.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 115584 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198907 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 0 |
| ASRS Report | 115584 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : rejected takeoff |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
We were #3 for takeoff on 17R facing north on the outer taxiway. An air carrier B widebody transport was in position on 17R. Departure had been stopped by center, unknown cause. We were looking at thunderstorms to the north of dfw approaching. No thunderstorm present to the south. An air carrier C widebody transport departed 17L with air carrier B still holding. The thunderstorm was approaching with wind and rain starting. Air carrier B was cleared for takeoff. There seemed to be some confusion in tower. We were concerned that air carrier B did not know what was behind them. My captain thought the air carrier B captain was crazy for attempting the takeoff so he asked for a wind check from tower to try and clue the air carrier B captain (the tower was behind the curve). The tower said something like 15 KTS center field and 35 KTS north boundary. The air carrier B captain got the hint and refused the takeoff clearance. We sat on the taxiway for the next 2 hours. The thunderstorm was large, irregular in shape, and severe. A microburst could have occurred causing the air carrier B to crash on runway 17 at dfw. The tower operators were under pressure to get as many aircraft airborne before the thunderstorms hit. This incident was just too close. The tower operators did not have a good idea what the WX was doing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WDB REFUSED TKOF CLRNC WHEN PARTY LINE CONVERSATION REVEALED POSSIBILITY OF WIND SHEAR DURING TKOF ROLL.
Narrative: WE WERE #3 FOR TKOF ON 17R FACING N ON THE OUTER TXWY. AN ACR B WDB WAS IN POSITION ON 17R. DEP HAD BEEN STOPPED BY CENTER, UNKNOWN CAUSE. WE WERE LOOKING AT TSTMS TO THE N OF DFW APCHING. NO TSTM PRESENT TO THE S. AN ACR C WDB DEPARTED 17L WITH ACR B STILL HOLDING. THE TSTM WAS APCHING WITH WIND AND RAIN STARTING. ACR B WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION IN TWR. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT ACR B DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS BEHIND THEM. MY CAPT THOUGHT THE ACR B CAPT WAS CRAZY FOR ATTEMPTING THE TKOF SO HE ASKED FOR A WIND CHECK FROM TWR TO TRY AND CLUE THE ACR B CAPT (THE TWR WAS BEHIND THE CURVE). THE TWR SAID SOMETHING LIKE 15 KTS CENTER FIELD AND 35 KTS NORTH BOUNDARY. THE ACR B CAPT GOT THE HINT AND REFUSED THE TKOF CLRNC. WE SAT ON THE TXWY FOR THE NEXT 2 HRS. THE TSTM WAS LARGE, IRREGULAR IN SHAPE, AND SEVERE. A MICROBURST COULD HAVE OCCURRED CAUSING THE ACR B TO CRASH ON RWY 17 AT DFW. THE TWR OPERATORS WERE UNDER PRESSURE TO GET AS MANY ACFT AIRBORNE BEFORE THE TSTMS HIT. THIS INCIDENT WAS JUST TOO CLOSE. THE TWR OPERATORS DID NOT HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHAT THE WX WAS DOING.
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.