Narrative:

I was working the local control one (LC1) position during the evening inbound push. Local control two (LC2) and three (LC3) were combined due to the fact that traffic was light and air carrier was not flying. Memphis was in a south confign; advertising runway 18R/18L and 27 as arrival runways. The wind was 130 degrees/12 KTS; which according to our local procedures; precludes us from using runway 27 as an arrival or departure runway. This fact was brought to the attention of the tower supervisor; but coordination with the TRACON never took place; and the TRACON continued to sequence aircraft to runway 27 with the tailwind component. The following aircraft were observed to have been sequenced to runway 27 during the time when runway 27 operations should not have been conducted due to the tailwind component: all aircraft appeared to land without incident; but I had no way of knowing what the approach and landing were like for the flight crew. These aircraft were being worked by LC2. There have been several accidents and incidents over the last two years involving aircraft that have run off the end of the runway due to wind; rain; snow or ice. The FAA at the national; regional and local levels have developed crosswind component charts for ATC to use in helping to determine the safest landing runway based on the wind and WX conditions at the time. Apparently these charts are just 'recommendations' that FAA management will use at their discretion. Sometimes the tailwind component is enforced -- sometimes it is not. Aircraft routinely land and depart memphis with a strong tailwind component; and many times it appears that we do this so as to not upset the air carrier arrival or departure push. Air carrier would prefer that we depart to the south using runway 18L/C/right and 27 as departure runways; and land to the north using runway 36L/C/right and 27 as arrival runways. Many times these arrival and departure runways are completely contrary to the crosswind component chart that is published in the tower and in the local procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM TWR CTLR ALLEGES FAA MGMNT FAILS TO COMPLY WITH ESTABLISHED TAILWIND PROCS BECAUSE OF ACR PRESSURE FOR EXPEDITED OPS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL ONE (LC1) POS DURING THE EVENING INBOUND PUSH. LCL CTL TWO (LC2) AND THREE (LC3) WERE COMBINED DUE TO THE FACT THAT TFC WAS LIGHT AND ACR WAS NOT FLYING. MEMPHIS WAS IN A S CONFIGN; ADVERTISING RWY 18R/18L AND 27 AS ARR RWYS. THE WIND WAS 130 DEGS/12 KTS; WHICH ACCORDING TO OUR LCL PROCS; PRECLUDES US FROM USING RWY 27 AS AN ARR OR DEP RWY. THIS FACT WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE TWR SUPVR; BUT COORD WITH THE TRACON NEVER TOOK PLACE; AND THE TRACON CONTINUED TO SEQUENCE ACFT TO RWY 27 WITH THE TAILWIND COMPONENT. THE FOLLOWING ACFT WERE OBSERVED TO HAVE BEEN SEQUENCED TO RWY 27 DURING THE TIME WHEN RWY 27 OPS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED DUE TO THE TAILWIND COMPONENT: ALL ACFT APPEARED TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT; BUT I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT THE APCH AND LNDG WERE LIKE FOR THE FLT CREW. THESE ACFT WERE BEING WORKED BY LC2. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS INVOLVING ACFT THAT HAVE RUN OFF THE END OF THE RWY DUE TO WIND; RAIN; SNOW OR ICE. THE FAA AT THE NATL; REGIONAL AND LCL LEVELS HAVE DEVELOPED CROSSWIND COMPONENT CHARTS FOR ATC TO USE IN HELPING TO DETERMINE THE SAFEST LNDG RWY BASED ON THE WIND AND WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME. APPARENTLY THESE CHARTS ARE JUST 'RECOMMENDATIONS' THAT FAA MGMNT WILL USE AT THEIR DISCRETION. SOMETIMES THE TAILWIND COMPONENT IS ENFORCED -- SOMETIMES IT IS NOT. ACFT ROUTINELY LAND AND DEPART MEMPHIS WITH A STRONG TAILWIND COMPONENT; AND MANY TIMES IT APPEARS THAT WE DO THIS SO AS TO NOT UPSET THE ACR ARR OR DEPARTURE PUSH. ACR WOULD PREFER THAT WE DEPART TO THE S USING RWY 18L/C/R AND 27 AS DEP RWYS; AND LAND TO THE N USING RWY 36L/C/R AND 27 AS ARR RWYS. MANY TIMES THESE ARR AND DEP RWYS ARE COMPLETELY CONTRARY TO THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT CHART THAT IS PUBLISHED IN THE TWR AND IN THE LCL PROCS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.