Narrative:

We had spent the entire flight from pit to atl deviating around thunderstorms. Approximately 120 mi north of atl, we were given holding instructions. Fuel was a concern because I did not have enough fuel to hold for very long. ATIS was reporting the winds at atl at 240 degrees at 8 KTS and were landing to the east on runway 8L/9R. Our landing runway was runway 8L. After being cleared for the approach, we were stable on the localizer and GS. The first officer was flying the approach and at the OM, I contacted the tower. They called the winds 240 degrees at 14 KTS with gusts to 18 KTS. With the runway in sight and a stable approach being flown, we continued the approach. At approximately 500 ft AGL, I requested a wind check and tower reported the winds at 240 degrees at 13 KTS. We landed uneventfully and taxied to the gate. After parking the aircraft, I got out my crosswind chart and calculated that we landed with a tailwind of about 12 KTS -- 2 KTS above aircraft limitations. Factors contributing to this were thunderstorms in the area and fuel considerations. I had already planned on diverting to knoxville if anything else had happened to slow our arrival. On final I did not have time to get out the crosswind chart, especially after the ATIS reported winds at 240 degrees at 8 KTS. I would probably do the same thing again presented with similar circumstances of thunderstorms in the area and fuel becoming a concern. I learned from this the need to continue to be aware of changing winds. With more time I could have calculated our tailwind, but with the WX the way it was with thunderstorms in the area, my options were limited.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING AN MD88 AT ATL LANDS WITH A TAILWIND THAT EXCEEDS THE ACFT LIMITATIONS.

Narrative: WE HAD SPENT THE ENTIRE FLT FROM PIT TO ATL DEVIATING AROUND TSTMS. APPROX 120 MI N OF ATL, WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. FUEL WAS A CONCERN BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO HOLD FOR VERY LONG. ATIS WAS RPTING THE WINDS AT ATL AT 240 DEGS AT 8 KTS AND WERE LNDG TO THE E ON RWY 8L/9R. OUR LNDG RWY WAS RWY 8L. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH, WE WERE STABLE ON THE LOC AND GS. THE FO WAS FLYING THE APCH AND AT THE OM, I CONTACTED THE TWR. THEY CALLED THE WINDS 240 DEGS AT 14 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 18 KTS. WITH THE RWY IN SIGHT AND A STABLE APCH BEING FLOWN, WE CONTINUED THE APCH. AT APPROX 500 FT AGL, I REQUESTED A WIND CHK AND TWR RPTED THE WINDS AT 240 DEGS AT 13 KTS. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. AFTER PARKING THE ACFT, I GOT OUT MY XWIND CHART AND CALCULATED THAT WE LANDED WITH A TAILWIND OF ABOUT 12 KTS -- 2 KTS ABOVE ACFT LIMITATIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS WERE TSTMS IN THE AREA AND FUEL CONSIDERATIONS. I HAD ALREADY PLANNED ON DIVERTING TO KNOXVILLE IF ANYTHING ELSE HAD HAPPENED TO SLOW OUR ARR. ON FINAL I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO GET OUT THE XWIND CHART, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE ATIS RPTED WINDS AT 240 DEGS AT 8 KTS. I WOULD PROBABLY DO THE SAME THING AGAIN PRESENTED WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF TSTMS IN THE AREA AND FUEL BECOMING A CONCERN. I LEARNED FROM THIS THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE AWARE OF CHANGING WINDS. WITH MORE TIME I COULD HAVE CALCULATED OUR TAILWIND, BUT WITH THE WX THE WAY IT WAS WITH TSTMS IN THE AREA, MY OPTIONS WERE LIMITED.

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.