B737 crew lands with tailwind above published limit in WX conditions that they felt precluded a go a...

Attributes
ACN	437716
Time
Date	199905
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 27
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	437716
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

When cleared to land on runway 27, tower advised winds '070 degrees at 11 KTS.' the captain and I looked at each other and continued. At about 500 ft AGL, tower reported 'winds 070 degrees at 14 KTS.' there was a line of WX immediately off the departure end -- a go around would have been very interesting! The runway was long, and we were not that heavy. The captain and I were thinking the same thing -- we really didn't want to go around through the WX! One aircraft landed behind us, then the tower changed the active runway. Bottom line: we felt that landing with the reported wind slightly above an arbitrary wind limit was safer than a miss. For my part as sic and the PNF, I just repeated the winds to the captain and left it up to him. We were obviously thinking the same thing -- let's get this thing on the ground!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW LANDS WITH TAILWIND ABOVE PUBLISHED LIMIT IN WX CONDITIONS THAT THEY FELT PRECLUDED A GAR.

Narrative: WHEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 27, TWR ADVISED WINDS '070 DEGS AT 11 KTS.' THE CAPT AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND CONTINUED. AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL, TWR RPTED 'WINDS 070 DEGS AT 14 KTS.' THERE WAS A LINE OF WX IMMEDIATELY OFF THE DEP END -- A GAR WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY INTERESTING! THE RWY WAS LONG, AND WE WERE NOT THAT HVY. THE CAPT AND I WERE THINKING THE SAME THING -- WE REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO GO AROUND THROUGH THE WX! ONE ACFT LANDED BEHIND US, THEN THE TWR CHANGED THE ACTIVE RWY. BOTTOM LINE: WE FELT THAT LNDG WITH THE RPTED WIND SLIGHTLY ABOVE AN ARBITRARY WIND LIMIT WAS SAFER THAN A MISS. FOR MY PART AS SIC AND THE PNF, I JUST REPEATED THE WINDS TO THE CAPT AND LEFT IT UP TO HIM. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY THINKING THE SAME THING -- LET'S GET THIS THING ON THE GND!

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.

B737 crew lands with tailwind above published limit in WX conditions that they felt precluded a go around.