Narrative:

Originally cleared for river visual runway 18 approach to dca. Approximately 8 mi out on base leg, ATC cleared us for lda DME runway 18 approach, gave us heading to intercept lda, and altitude change with clearance. At MDA and maneuvering visually to runway, observed storm and a lightning strike over approach end of runway 18 and heard landing aircraft ahead of us report 25 KT airspeed loss at 100 ft AGL, visibility near zero immediately after touchdown and braking action poor. I initiated go around at approximately 800 ft and turned right to avoid storm, then continued missed approach procedure. Received radar vectors and successfully completed subsequent approach and landing after storm passed. Never at any time did ATC advise us of any change in WX besides what was reported on ATIS. ATC should inform approaching aircraft of severe WX phenomenon in sits like this one. ATC repeated its same actions which, if correctly modified, would likely have caused flight XXX to have avoided crashing in clt several yrs ago. Were it not for good training, common sense, the lessons learned from flight XXX, and necessary instantaneous bold action and decision making ability to say 'the hell with the published missed approach procedure,' this pilot could easily have repeated XXX's fatal mistakes. Overhearing another aircraft tell an ATC facility of severe WX on final is not good enough. We need to hear about it from ATC, and we need to hear about it fast.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ACFT ON FINAL APCH HEARS PRECEDING ACFT RPT WINDSHEAR ON SHORT FINAL AND RPTR FLC SEES LIGHTNING STRIKE CLOSE TO THE RWY. THEY EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. RPTR SAYS THAT ATC SHOULD KEEP FLCS INFORMED ABOUT SEVERE WX.

Narrative: ORIGINALLY CLRED FOR RIVER VISUAL RWY 18 APCH TO DCA. APPROX 8 MI OUT ON BASE LEG, ATC CLRED US FOR LDA DME RWY 18 APCH, GAVE US HDG TO INTERCEPT LDA, AND ALT CHANGE WITH CLRNC. AT MDA AND MANEUVERING VISUALLY TO RWY, OBSERVED STORM AND A LIGHTNING STRIKE OVER APCH END OF RWY 18 AND HEARD LNDG ACFT AHEAD OF US RPT 25 KT AIRSPD LOSS AT 100 FT AGL, VISIBILITY NEAR ZERO IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND BRAKING ACTION POOR. I INITIATED GAR AT APPROX 800 FT AND TURNED R TO AVOID STORM, THEN CONTINUED MISSED APCH PROC. RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED SUBSEQUENT APCH AND LNDG AFTER STORM PASSED. NEVER AT ANY TIME DID ATC ADVISE US OF ANY CHANGE IN WX BESIDES WHAT WAS RPTED ON ATIS. ATC SHOULD INFORM APCHING ACFT OF SEVERE WX PHENOMENON IN SITS LIKE THIS ONE. ATC REPEATED ITS SAME ACTIONS WHICH, IF CORRECTLY MODIFIED, WOULD LIKELY HAVE CAUSED FLT XXX TO HAVE AVOIDED CRASHING IN CLT SEVERAL YRS AGO. WERE IT NOT FOR GOOD TRAINING, COMMON SENSE, THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM FLT XXX, AND NECESSARY INSTANTANEOUS BOLD ACTION AND DECISION MAKING ABILITY TO SAY 'THE HELL WITH THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROC,' THIS PLT COULD EASILY HAVE REPEATED XXX'S FATAL MISTAKES. OVERHEARING ANOTHER ACFT TELL AN ATC FACILITY OF SEVERE WX ON FINAL IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT IT FROM ATC, AND WE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT IT FAST.

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.