Narrative:

After an uneventful flight from ZZZZ; we checked the rjaa ATIS and obtained the latest weather. Although we had planned for gusty winds and discussed this with the dispatcher; we were not expecting what we saw. A frontal passage was occurring and the winds were significantly higher than what we expected -- gusting to 38 KTS. It was my leg and we briefed for a flaps 25 landing. The reference speed for our weight was 140. We added the full correction for winds and gusts of 20 KTS. As we entered rjaa approach airspace; the controller started issuing windshear reports of -15 and then -20 KTS on 3 mile final. Our fuel load was predicated on no alternate; with just a little extra for the time that the gusty wind operation would entail. Thinking ahead; we obtained the burn to the downtown tokyo airport from dispatch. We also got the weather there -- it was worse than rjaa -- gusting to 42 KTS. We were faced with making the best of the situation at rjaa. As we positioned on downwind for runway 16R; approach issued a micro burst advisory with a loss of 33 KTS. This was getting interesting. I notified approach that we could not continue with the approach to landing with conditions like that. Almost simultaneously; approach came back and notified us that they were changing the runways to a north operation. They gave us a 180 degree heading and told us we would be number one. They had several aircraft yet to depart off of the runway 16's and we were vectored accordingly. I discussed the fuel situation and the operating conditions with the first officer. We decided that the safest course of action was to continue with rjaa. We would have fuel for one missed approach; vector back and one more attempt before things got to the extreme. All of the reports of windshear had been north of the airport so far; and we would be the first operation to land north. We briefed the approach and were mindful of the pws and GPWS windshear procedures; as well as microburst guidelines. We were IMC until approaching the FAF at which time we broke out VMC. Radar was painting numerous patches of magenta returns north of the airport. Tower gave us a gust to 22 KTS at the runway and blowing dust kept us from seeing the approach lights until about 3 miles out. The ride had been fairly smooth for the conditions and we'd experienced minus/plus 10 airspeed fluctuations on final. We never got any windshear indications from our onboard systems. Once I had a good visual on the runway; I told the first officer that I didn't want to miss this approach and have to go into the area of really bad weather. Approximately one mile from the approach end of runway 34L I began to intentionally allow the aircraft to situate under the normal glideslope. Given the conditions; I chose to fly the aircraft in a flatter and faster profile than normal. I verbalized this to the first officer and asked her to maintain watch on the airspeed and I would remain focused outside. The airspeed continued minus/plus 10 through the approach with moderate turbulence. Since runway 34L has a displaced threshold; I intended to be somewhat lower over it and touch down just after it. At about 100 ft AGL. The first officer called airspeed 170. This was higher than our planned target; and I attributed it to the gusty wind. We touched down about 500 ft past the displaced threshold in a normal crosswind landing; normal reversing; and autobrakes at level 3. We turned off at the usual high speed turnoff uneventfully and taxied to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW ELECTS TO ABANDON THE APPROACH TO RWY 16R AT RJAA AFTER RECEIVING A MICROBURST REPORT FROM TOWER. A SAFE LANDING ENSUES ON RWY 34L.

Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLIGHT FROM ZZZZ; WE CHECKED THE RJAA ATIS AND OBTAINED THE LATEST WEATHER. ALTHOUGH WE HAD PLANNED FOR GUSTY WINDS AND DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE DISPATCHER; WE WERE NOT EXPECTING WHAT WE SAW. A FRONTAL PASSAGE WAS OCCURRING AND THE WINDS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT WE EXPECTED -- GUSTING TO 38 KTS. IT WAS MY LEG AND WE BRIEFED FOR A FLAPS 25 LANDING. THE REF SPEED FOR OUR WEIGHT WAS 140. WE ADDED THE FULL CORRECTION FOR WINDS AND GUSTS OF 20 KTS. AS WE ENTERED RJAA APPROACH AIRSPACE; THE CONTROLLER STARTED ISSUING WINDSHEAR REPORTS OF -15 AND THEN -20 KTS ON 3 MILE FINAL. OUR FUEL LOAD WAS PREDICATED ON NO ALTERNATE; WITH JUST A LITTLE EXTRA FOR THE TIME THAT THE GUSTY WIND OPERATION WOULD ENTAIL. THINKING AHEAD; WE OBTAINED THE BURN TO THE DOWNTOWN TOKYO AIRPORT FROM DISPATCH. WE ALSO GOT THE WEATHER THERE -- IT WAS WORSE THAN RJAA -- GUSTING TO 42 KTS. WE WERE FACED WITH MAKING THE BEST OF THE SITUATION AT RJAA. AS WE POSITIONED ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16R; APPROACH ISSUED A MICRO BURST ADVISORY WITH A LOSS OF 33 KTS. THIS WAS GETTING INTERESTING. I NOTIFIED APPROACH THAT WE COULD NOT CONTINUE WITH THE APPROACH TO LANDING WITH CONDITIONS LIKE THAT. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY; APPROACH CAME BACK AND NOTIFIED US THAT THEY WERE CHANGING THE RUNWAYS TO A NORTH OPERATION. THEY GAVE US A 180 DEG HDG AND TOLD US WE WOULD BE NUMBER ONE. THEY HAD SEVERAL AIRCRAFT YET TO DEPART OFF OF THE RWY 16'S AND WE WERE VECTORED ACCORDINGLY. I DISCUSSED THE FUEL SITUATION AND THE OPERATING CONDITIONS WITH THE FO. WE DECIDED THAT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO CONTINUE WITH RJAA. WE WOULD HAVE FUEL FOR ONE MISSED APPROACH; VECTOR BACK AND ONE MORE ATTEMPT BEFORE THINGS GOT TO THE EXTREME. ALL OF THE REPORTS OF WINDSHEAR HAD BEEN NORTH OF THE AIRPORT SO FAR; AND WE WOULD BE THE FIRST OPERATION TO LAND NORTH. WE BRIEFED THE APPROACH AND WERE MINDFUL OF THE PWS AND GPWS WINDSHEAR PROCEDURES; AS WELL AS MICROBURST GUIDELINES. WE WERE IMC UNTIL APPROACHING THE FAF AT WHICH TIME WE BROKE OUT VMC. RADAR WAS PAINTING NUMEROUS PATCHES OF MAGENTA RETURNS NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. TOWER GAVE US A GUST TO 22 KTS AT THE RUNWAY AND BLOWING DUST KEPT US FROM SEEING THE APPROACH LIGHTS UNTIL ABOUT 3 MILES OUT. THE RIDE HAD BEEN FAIRLY SMOOTH FOR THE CONDITIONS AND WE'D EXPERIENCED MINUS/PLUS 10 AIRSPEED FLUCTUATIONS ON FINAL. WE NEVER GOT ANY WINDSHEAR INDICATIONS FROM OUR ONBOARD SYSTEMS. ONCE I HAD A GOOD VISUAL ON THE RUNWAY; I TOLD THE FO THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO MISS THIS APPROACH AND HAVE TO GO INTO THE AREA OF REALLY BAD WEATHER. APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM THE APPROACH END OF RWY 34L I BEGAN TO INTENTIONALLY ALLOW THE AIRCRAFT TO SITUATE UNDER THE NORMAL GLIDESLOPE. GIVEN THE CONDITIONS; I CHOSE TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT IN A FLATTER AND FASTER PROFILE THAN NORMAL. I VERBALIZED THIS TO THE FO AND ASKED HER TO MAINTAIN WATCH ON THE AIRSPEED AND I WOULD REMAIN FOCUSED OUTSIDE. THE AIRSPEED CONTINUED MINUS/PLUS 10 THROUGH THE APPROACH WITH MODERATE TURBULENCE. SINCE RWY 34L HAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD; I INTENDED TO BE SOMEWHAT LOWER OVER IT AND TOUCH DOWN JUST AFTER IT. AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL. THE FO CALLED AIRSPEED 170. THIS WAS HIGHER THAN OUR PLANNED TARGET; AND I ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE GUSTY WIND. WE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 500 FT PAST THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD IN A NORMAL CROSSWIND LANDING; NORMAL REVERSING; AND AUTOBRAKES AT LEVEL 3. WE TURNED OFF AT THE USUAL HIGH SPEED TURNOFF UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO THE GATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.