<< >> NASA ASRS Report 552493, July 2002

Return land mandated when a B757 loses its WX radar shortly after takeoff in proximity of thunderstorm activity south of dfw, tx.

Attributes
ACN	552493
Time
Date	200207
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon tower : dfw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	552493
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Location: departure end runway 17R. Heavy thunderstorms embedded in cumulous layer to south and east of airport. At 1600 ft, after departure, WX radar failed. There was a large cell approximately 20 mi to south of airport. We were also IMC. Tower controller would not shut up or switch us. We took an immediate hard left turn to barely stay out of cell. She finally switched us over to departure. We advised them we needed to return to airport because our WX radar failed. They continued to drive us away from the airport and through large buildups, which we could not avoid since our radar was dead. To get their attention, I declared an emergency, told them we needed to hold to burn down to maximum landing weight and then land post haste. Landing accomplished without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND MANDATED WHEN A B757 LOSES ITS WX RADAR SHORTLY AFTER TKOF IN PROX OF TSTM ACTIVITY S OF DFW, TX.

Narrative: LOCATION: DEP END RWY 17R. HVY TSTMS EMBEDDED IN CUMULOUS LAYER TO S AND E OF ARPT. AT 1600 FT, AFTER DEP, WX RADAR FAILED. THERE WAS A LARGE CELL APPROX 20 MI TO S OF ARPT. WE WERE ALSO IMC. TWR CTLR WOULD NOT SHUT UP OR SWITCH US. WE TOOK AN IMMEDIATE HARD L TURN TO BARELY STAY OUT OF CELL. SHE FINALLY SWITCHED US OVER TO DEP. WE ADVISED THEM WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO ARPT BECAUSE OUR WX RADAR FAILED. THEY CONTINUED TO DRIVE US AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND THROUGH LARGE BUILDUPS, WHICH WE COULD NOT AVOID SINCE OUR RADAR WAS DEAD. TO GET THEIR ATTN, I DECLARED AN EMER, TOLD THEM WE NEEDED TO HOLD TO BURN DOWN TO MAX LNDG WT AND THEN LAND POST HASTE. LNDG ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.