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Flight crew of a B747 declared an emergency and diverted to their alternate airport after having difficulty holding altitude and airspeed on vector and start of an ILS approach due to flying into a category 5 thunderstorm.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 468273 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rjoo.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice Rain Thunderstorm Turbulence Windshear other |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-C/F |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 24 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 468273 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 11000 |
| ASRS Report | 468021 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter+airspeed ind. other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Frontal passage at kix with imbedded thunderstorms, winds gusting +/-45 KTS. Airport winds increasing from 170 degrees at 22 KTS to 170 degrees at 45-55 KTS precluded an approach. We diverted to nrt for WX and declared emergency fuel. Airspeed varied +/-40 KTS, altitude +/-500 ft due to code 5 turbulence in vicinity of kix. We had an uneventful landing at nrt. This report may not apply due to its occurrence location (japan). However, kix approach seemed oblivious to the surrounding WX. Had we known of the severity of local conditions, we would not have descended for the approach. Once en route to nrt after we declared an emergency, we were asked for off course vectors from ATC. We declined, but this is typical of japanese ATC. Supplemental information from acn 468021: declared emergency and proceeded to rjaa (narita airport) as it had best WX conditions available and we were down to minimum fuel levels. Landed nrt, uneventful landing. Found aircraft damage to right wingtip from lightning strike.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B747 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO THEIR ALTERNATE ARPT AFTER HAVING DIFFICULTY HOLDING ALT AND AIRSPD ON VECTOR AND START OF AN ILS APCH DUE TO FLYING INTO A CATEGORY 5 TSTM.
Narrative: FRONTAL PASSAGE AT KIX WITH IMBEDDED TSTMS, WINDS GUSTING +/-45 KTS. ARPT WINDS INCREASING FROM 170 DEGS AT 22 KTS TO 170 DEGS AT 45-55 KTS PRECLUDED AN APCH. WE DIVERTED TO NRT FOR WX AND DECLARED EMER FUEL. AIRSPD VARIED +/-40 KTS, ALT +/-500 FT DUE TO CODE 5 TURB IN VICINITY OF KIX. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT NRT. THIS RPT MAY NOT APPLY DUE TO ITS OCCURRENCE LOCATION (JAPAN). HOWEVER, KIX APCH SEEMED OBLIVIOUS TO THE SURROUNDING WX. HAD WE KNOWN OF THE SEVERITY OF LCL CONDITIONS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE DSNDED FOR THE APCH. ONCE ENRTE TO NRT AFTER WE DECLARED AN EMER, WE WERE ASKED FOR OFF COURSE VECTORS FROM ATC. WE DECLINED, BUT THIS IS TYPICAL OF JAPANESE ATC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 468021: DECLARED EMER AND PROCEEDED TO RJAA (NARITA ARPT) AS IT HAD BEST WX CONDITIONS AVAILABLE AND WE WERE DOWN TO MINIMUM FUEL LEVELS. LANDED NRT, UNEVENTFUL LNDG. FOUND ACFT DAMAGE TO R WINGTIP FROM LIGHTNING STRIKE.
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.