Air carrier PIC report on an ATIS broadcast problem when arriving msy, la, in a night operation. Thu...

Attributes
ACN	356604
Time
Date	199612
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msy
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu tracon : msy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	356604
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Location: msy. From approximately 180 mi north of msy, we obtained 10 min old ATIS, no mention of thunderstorms or precipitation at msy airport or vicinity. Upon reaching 30 mi from airport, several cells were apparent near the marker and between it and the field. We suddenly found ourselves, in among them, with no warning and no mention from either approach control or ATIS. Queried tower, no mention of storms, their location, intensity or movement -- simply winds at the field from 120 degrees, 7 KTS. Heavy precipitation, frequent cloud to cloud and cloud to ground lightning was obvious on final. We asked for an early turn, inside kinte, to avoid a group of 3 cells with red ctrs parked there. It seems surprising because these days everyone is so careful of severe convection and windshear that no information was passed through ATIS, approach or center. We also noticed a 15-20 KT tailwind down final, with only a 7 KT headwind reported at the field -- a sign of a good developing shear. This incident stands out in its lack of information available for a potentially hazardous WX situation. Again, we had no information until we were in among the developing mess.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC RPT ON AN ATIS BROADCAST PROB WHEN ARRIVING MSY, LA, IN A NIGHT OP. TSTM ACTIVITY AND LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR EXPERIENCED FROM 50 MI N TO LNDG AT MSY. NO PRE WARNING FROM THE ATIS WX RPT OR ANY OF THE 3 FACILITIES THAT WERE CONTACTED REGARDING THIS SEVERE TERMINAL AREA WX FACTOR.

Narrative: LOCATION: MSY. FROM APPROX 180 MI N OF MSY, WE OBTAINED 10 MIN OLD ATIS, NO MENTION OF TSTMS OR PRECIP AT MSY ARPT OR VICINITY. UPON REACHING 30 MI FROM ARPT, SEVERAL CELLS WERE APPARENT NEAR THE MARKER AND BTWN IT AND THE FIELD. WE SUDDENLY FOUND OURSELVES, IN AMONG THEM, WITH NO WARNING AND NO MENTION FROM EITHER APCH CTL OR ATIS. QUERIED TWR, NO MENTION OF STORMS, THEIR LOCATION, INTENSITY OR MOVEMENT -- SIMPLY WINDS AT THE FIELD FROM 120 DEGS, 7 KTS. HVY PRECIP, FREQUENT CLOUD TO CLOUD AND CLOUD TO GND LIGHTNING WAS OBVIOUS ON FINAL. WE ASKED FOR AN EARLY TURN, INSIDE KINTE, TO AVOID A GROUP OF 3 CELLS WITH RED CTRS PARKED THERE. IT SEEMS SURPRISING BECAUSE THESE DAYS EVERYONE IS SO CAREFUL OF SEVERE CONVECTION AND WINDSHEAR THAT NO INFO WAS PASSED THROUGH ATIS, APCH OR CTR. WE ALSO NOTICED A 15-20 KT TAILWIND DOWN FINAL, WITH ONLY A 7 KT HEADWIND RPTED AT THE FIELD -- A SIGN OF A GOOD DEVELOPING SHEAR. THIS INCIDENT STANDS OUT IN ITS LACK OF INFO AVAILABLE FOR A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS WX SIT. AGAIN, WE HAD NO INFO UNTIL WE WERE IN AMONG THE DEVELOPING MESS.

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