Narrative:

While on descent to jfk, a line of thunderstorms was encountered. After holding for approximately 40 mins, we were vectored towards jfk, while deviating around a line of thunderstorms. Aircraft ahead reported light to moderate turbulence, as did we. While on downwind for the ILS runway 13L, we observed lightning in the distance ahead and to the left of our position. An aircraft ahead of us on the base to final for the runway reported a gain/loss of 40 KTS. An aircraft ahead of us suggested that ATC vector the following aircraft in tighter. As we made the turn from base to final, the aircraft started to balloon and airspeed increased. We were at approximately 1800 ft with flaps at 20 degrees and the gear down. The airspeed was 180 KTS. We then experienced a loss of airspeed and the aircraft started to descend unctlably. The first officer, who was flying the approach, initiated the windshear escape maneuver as the windshear alert sounded. Aircraft continued to descend and lose airspeed. Stick shaker activated. Aircraft control was regained at 500 ft and climb to 4000 ft was initiated. We were vectored south of jfk and after the WX passed, we returned to jfk and made an approach to runway 31R. During the approach, the flight attendant reported 2 ill passenger and requested paramedics meet the aircraft. Landing was made on runway 31R. A final note: during the escape, the throttles were firewalled for approximately 30 seconds and during the recovery, the flaps were oversped. Other than motion sickness, there were no injuries reported. Supplemental information from acn 546645: windshear. After holding for 40 mins west of jfk, approach control started accepting arrivals for jfk. While in the descent we were deviated around thunderstorms west of jfk at FL190. Light to moderate turbulence was encountered. We continued to descend into jfk and were vectored onto a right downwind for the ILS runway 13L. Lightning was observed in the distance ahead of the aircraft. Aircraft ahead reported light to moderate turbulence during their approach. 1 aircraft reported a gain/loss of 40 KTS while still on vectors to the final approach course. An aircraft ahead suggested to approach control that he radar vector the following aircraft in tighter for the runway to avoid the WX. We continued on vectors and descended to 2500 ft. While on base leg we were cleared to turn and intercept the final approach course while descending to 1800 ft. The aircraft started to balloon upward and airspeed increased. The aircraft started to descend uncontrollably and to lose airspeed as the windshear alert sounded. I immediately initiated the windshear escape maneuver. The aircraft continued to descend and lose airspeed. The GPWS sounded both terrain and pull up. At approximately 500 ft control was regained and the aircraft started to climb and airspeed increased. We were vectored southeast of jfk and held for approximately 50 mins before making an approach and landing on runway 31R at jfk. During approach the flight attendants reported 2 ill passenger and requested paramedics meet the aircraft. Physicians were paged and assisted the flight attendants. Flight attendants reported that the passenger were suffering from air sickness and anxiety. The second approach and landing was uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 546384: during descent we encountered severe turbulence. As we started the approach we hit a microburst at 1800 ft and lost 1200 ft. The engines pulled us out around 600 ft. Sitting in the aft of the aircraft sounded like the wings and everything structural was falling off the plane. We pulled out and did the missed approach until we were able to land. While we started the climb out, 2 passenger had medical emergencys: 1) male, about 33, unconscious, but breathing. 2) older woman, about 60, couldn't feel her legs and was throwing up. We had about 6 doctors offer their assistance. We were met by paramedics upon landing uneventfully in jfk. 30 mins after this incident, most passenger on the aircraft lost their bowels and were throwing up, besides screaming and crying. Supplemental information from acn 546385: my only additional thoughts go back to the moments before we were being 'pushed' to the ground. The turbulence was so severe that we 3 flight attendants (seated in speaking proximity to one another) were verbalizing 'what the heck are we doing, trying to land?' just because the airplane ahead of us made it okay? Would be reassuring to think that we'd reconsidered the approach. Supplemental information from acn 547586: we were in severe turbulence and thunderstorms while seated in jump seat for 25 mins. We were cleared to land at jfk. We hit windshear at 1800 ft, dropped 1200 ft (nose dove down), plane recovered at 600 ft. Was told by ATC that it was a level 1 thunderstorm. It was a level 5 thunderstorm. The plane 3 ahead of us hit windshear at 5000 ft. The 2 planes ahead of us landed without incident. We were cleared to land when we nose dove in the windshear. Once we pulled up, we responded to several ill passenger. 1 male passenger was unconscious but breathing -- oxygen administered, and 1 female passenger had chest pains and vomiting. Went around to attempt landing. 25 mins later we landed without incident -- perfect landing. Paramedics met flight to administer first aid. Female passenger removed by paramedics, conscious. Male passenger deplaned on his own accord

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW CONTINUED FLT TOWARD A RPTED SEVERE WINDSHEAR AREA. THE ACFT CAME WITHIN 500 FT OF THE GND IN THE RECOVERY.

Narrative: WHILE ON DSCNT TO JFK, A LINE OF TSTMS WAS ENCOUNTERED. AFTER HOLDING FOR APPROX 40 MINS, WE WERE VECTORED TOWARDS JFK, WHILE DEVIATING AROUND A LINE OF TSTMS. ACFT AHEAD RPTED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB, AS DID WE. WHILE ON DOWNWIND FOR THE ILS RWY 13L, WE OBSERVED LIGHTNING IN THE DISTANCE AHEAD AND TO THE L OF OUR POS. AN ACFT AHEAD OF US ON THE BASE TO FINAL FOR THE RWY RPTED A GAIN/LOSS OF 40 KTS. AN ACFT AHEAD OF US SUGGESTED THAT ATC VECTOR THE FOLLOWING ACFT IN TIGHTER. AS WE MADE THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, THE ACFT STARTED TO BALLOON AND AIRSPD INCREASED. WE WERE AT APPROX 1800 FT WITH FLAPS AT 20 DEGS AND THE GEAR DOWN. THE AIRSPD WAS 180 KTS. WE THEN EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF AIRSPD AND THE ACFT STARTED TO DSND UNCTLABLY. THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING THE APCH, INITIATED THE WINDSHEAR ESCAPE MANEUVER AS THE WINDSHEAR ALERT SOUNDED. ACFT CONTINUED TO DSND AND LOSE AIRSPD. STICK SHAKER ACTIVATED. ACFT CTL WAS REGAINED AT 500 FT AND CLB TO 4000 FT WAS INITIATED. WE WERE VECTORED S OF JFK AND AFTER THE WX PASSED, WE RETURNED TO JFK AND MADE AN APCH TO RWY 31R. DURING THE APCH, THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED 2 ILL PAX AND REQUESTED PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT. LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 31R. A FINAL NOTE: DURING THE ESCAPE, THE THROTTLES WERE FIREWALLED FOR APPROX 30 SECONDS AND DURING THE RECOVERY, THE FLAPS WERE OVERSPED. OTHER THAN MOTION SICKNESS, THERE WERE NO INJURIES RPTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 546645: WINDSHEAR. AFTER HOLDING FOR 40 MINS W OF JFK, APCH CTL STARTED ACCEPTING ARRIVALS FOR JFK. WHILE IN THE DSCNT WE WERE DEVIATED AROUND TSTMS W OF JFK AT FL190. LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED. WE CONTINUED TO DSND INTO JFK AND WERE VECTORED ONTO A R DOWNWIND FOR THE ILS RWY 13L. LIGHTNING WAS OBSERVED IN THE DISTANCE AHEAD OF THE ACFT. ACFT AHEAD RPTED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB DURING THEIR APCH. 1 ACFT RPTED A GAIN/LOSS OF 40 KTS WHILE STILL ON VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. AN ACFT AHEAD SUGGESTED TO APCH CTL THAT HE RADAR VECTOR THE FOLLOWING ACFT IN TIGHTER FOR THE RWY TO AVOID THE WX. WE CONTINUED ON VECTORS AND DSNDED TO 2500 FT. WHILE ON BASE LEG WE WERE CLRED TO TURN AND INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE WHILE DSNDING TO 1800 FT. THE ACFT STARTED TO BALLOON UPWARD AND AIRSPD INCREASED. THE ACFT STARTED TO DSND UNCONTROLLABLY AND TO LOSE AIRSPD AS THE WINDSHEAR ALERT SOUNDED. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED THE WINDSHEAR ESCAPE MANEUVER. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO DSND AND LOSE AIRSPD. THE GPWS SOUNDED BOTH TERRAIN AND PULL UP. AT APPROX 500 FT CTL WAS REGAINED AND THE ACFT STARTED TO CLB AND AIRSPD INCREASED. WE WERE VECTORED SE OF JFK AND HELD FOR APPROX 50 MINS BEFORE MAKING AN APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 31R AT JFK. DURING APCH THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED 2 ILL PAX AND REQUESTED PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT. PHYSICIANS WERE PAGED AND ASSISTED THE FLT ATTENDANTS. FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT THE PAX WERE SUFFERING FROM AIR SICKNESS AND ANXIETY. THE SECOND APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 546384: DURING DSCNT WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. AS WE STARTED THE APCH WE HIT A MICROBURST AT 1800 FT AND LOST 1200 FT. THE ENGS PULLED US OUT AROUND 600 FT. SITTING IN THE AFT OF THE ACFT SOUNDED LIKE THE WINGS AND EVERYTHING STRUCTURAL WAS FALLING OFF THE PLANE. WE PULLED OUT AND DID THE MISSED APCH UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO LAND. WHILE WE STARTED THE CLB OUT, 2 PAX HAD MEDICAL EMERS: 1) MALE, ABOUT 33, UNCONSCIOUS, BUT BREATHING. 2) OLDER WOMAN, ABOUT 60, COULDN'T FEEL HER LEGS AND WAS THROWING UP. WE HAD ABOUT 6 DOCTORS OFFER THEIR ASSISTANCE. WE WERE MET BY PARAMEDICS UPON LNDG UNEVENTFULLY IN JFK. 30 MINS AFTER THIS INCIDENT, MOST PAX ON THE ACFT LOST THEIR BOWELS AND WERE THROWING UP, BESIDES SCREAMING AND CRYING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 546385: MY ONLY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS GO BACK TO THE MOMENTS BEFORE WE WERE BEING 'PUSHED' TO THE GND. THE TURB WAS SO SEVERE THAT WE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS (SEATED IN SPEAKING PROX TO ONE ANOTHER) WERE VERBALIZING 'WHAT THE HECK ARE WE DOING, TRYING TO LAND?' JUST BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE AHEAD OF US MADE IT OKAY? WOULD BE REASSURING TO THINK THAT WE'D RECONSIDERED THE APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 547586: WE WERE IN SEVERE TURB AND TSTMS WHILE SEATED IN JUMP SEAT FOR 25 MINS. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AT JFK. WE HIT WINDSHEAR AT 1800 FT, DROPPED 1200 FT (NOSE DOVE DOWN), PLANE RECOVERED AT 600 FT. WAS TOLD BY ATC THAT IT WAS A LEVEL 1 TSTM. IT WAS A LEVEL 5 TSTM. THE PLANE 3 AHEAD OF US HIT WINDSHEAR AT 5000 FT. THE 2 PLANES AHEAD OF US LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND WHEN WE NOSE DOVE IN THE WINDSHEAR. ONCE WE PULLED UP, WE RESPONDED TO SEVERAL ILL PAX. 1 MALE PAX WAS UNCONSCIOUS BUT BREATHING -- OXYGEN ADMINISTERED, AND 1 FEMALE PAX HAD CHEST PAINS AND VOMITING. WENT AROUND TO ATTEMPT LNDG. 25 MINS LATER WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT -- PERFECT LNDG. PARAMEDICS MET FLT TO ADMINISTER FIRST AID. FEMALE PAX REMOVED BY PARAMEDICS, CONSCIOUS. MALE PAX DEPLANED ON HIS OWN ACCORD

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.