Narrative:

On arrival at destination airport I was the PF a heavy cargo airplane and reported WX on airport ATIS read 5 overcast 2, -RF 45/41, 200/13, 29.41, localizer B/C runway 14. During des approach and final WX was -RF and turbulence. The approach was flown observing DME fixes and altitudes. Shortly after passing the 5.0 DME fix and descending to MDA the wind was now reported to be 260/14g23. I continued approach down to the MDA with ground contact established prior to the 5.0 DME fix. At about 400' AGL with good visual sighting of runway 14, crosswind factor was evident to be very strong and not suitable for runway length and prevailing wet conditions. Both captain and first officer called for a missed approach, power applied, flaps 25 degrees, pitch up, positive rate, gear up. Missed approach published altitude was 3000'. At 3000' local approach called 'maintain 2500' runway heading.' this was not per the missed approach altitude and for a moment it was thought to be a possible error. Controller then called back saying maintain 3000' runway heading and handed us over to another controller. During this time my altitude ballooned up approximately 300-400', but shortly was brought back to 3000'. I continued flying vectors for a VOR runway 23 approach which was executed with a landing and full stop. While we were taxiing in the tower requested captain's name and aircraft registration number. Captain contacted tower on the landline and was informed that they had received an altitude low alert warning during approach phase and had observed altitude excursion during the missed approach procedure. Following facility procedures they were required to forward a report to the sector supervisor at south bend. Captain discussed events with local control and also informed company chief pilot. This report is intended to explain those events and offer suggestions to prevent future occurrence during missed approach maneuvers. Aircraft landing weight was approximately 189000#, company trainers manual and procedures call for always standard maximum power during missed approach. It is possible that the amount of power used, light aircraft weight, gusty wind conditions and turbulence, coupled with such a short altitude change (apt elevation 815'), contributed to my altitude excursion, as well as the request for a lower than published missed approach altitude. (MSA all quadrants was 2900'.) greater vigilance on altitude control by myself and clearance to the published missed approach altitude would have prevented this unhappy event. No other aircraft were involved. We were #1 for that approach. The aircraft behind us elected to take approach to runway 23. A WX shift or squall appeared to cross over the field just prior to our approach and landing, further complicating both our procedures and events.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GPWS SOUNDED DURING MISSED APCH PROC. TURBULENCE, STRONG CROSSWIND A FACTOR.

Narrative: ON ARR AT DEST ARPT I WAS THE PF A HVY CARGO AIRPLANE AND RPTED WX ON ARPT ATIS READ 5 OVCST 2, -RF 45/41, 200/13, 29.41, LOC B/C RWY 14. DURING DES APCH AND FINAL WX WAS -RF AND TURBULENCE. THE APCH WAS FLOWN OBSERVING DME FIXES AND ALTS. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE 5.0 DME FIX AND DSNDING TO MDA THE WIND WAS NOW RPTED TO BE 260/14G23. I CONTINUED APCH DOWN TO THE MDA WITH GND CONTACT ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO THE 5.0 DME FIX. AT ABOUT 400' AGL WITH GOOD VISUAL SIGHTING OF RWY 14, XWIND FACTOR WAS EVIDENT TO BE VERY STRONG AND NOT SUITABLE FOR RWY LENGTH AND PREVAILING WET CONDITIONS. BOTH CAPT AND F/O CALLED FOR A MISSED APCH, PWR APPLIED, FLAPS 25 DEGS, PITCH UP, POSITIVE RATE, GEAR UP. MISSED APCH PUBLISHED ALT WAS 3000'. AT 3000' LCL APCH CALLED 'MAINTAIN 2500' RWY HDG.' THIS WAS NOT PER THE MISSED APCH ALT AND FOR A MOMENT IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A POSSIBLE ERROR. CTLR THEN CALLED BACK SAYING MAINTAIN 3000' RWY HDG AND HANDED US OVER TO ANOTHER CTLR. DURING THIS TIME MY ALT BALLOONED UP APPROX 300-400', BUT SHORTLY WAS BROUGHT BACK TO 3000'. I CONTINUED FLYING VECTORS FOR A VOR RWY 23 APCH WHICH WAS EXECUTED WITH A LNDG AND FULL STOP. WHILE WE WERE TAXIING IN THE TWR REQUESTED CAPT'S NAME AND ACFT REGISTRATION NUMBER. CAPT CONTACTED TWR ON THE LANDLINE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED AN ALT LOW ALERT WARNING DURING APCH PHASE AND HAD OBSERVED ALT EXCURSION DURING THE MISSED APCH PROC. FOLLOWING FAC PROCS THEY WERE REQUIRED TO FORWARD A RPT TO THE SECTOR SUPVR AT SOUTH BEND. CAPT DISCUSSED EVENTS WITH LCL CTL AND ALSO INFORMED COMPANY CHIEF PLT. THIS RPT IS INTENDED TO EXPLAIN THOSE EVENTS AND OFFER SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCE DURING MISSED APCH MANEUVERS. ACFT LNDG WT WAS APPROX 189000#, COMPANY TRAINERS MANUAL AND PROCS CALL FOR ALWAYS STANDARD MAX PWR DURING MISSED APCH. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE AMOUNT OF PWR USED, LIGHT ACFT WT, GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS AND TURBULENCE, COUPLED WITH SUCH A SHORT ALT CHANGE (APT ELEVATION 815'), CONTRIBUTED TO MY ALT EXCURSION, AS WELL AS THE REQUEST FOR A LOWER THAN PUBLISHED MISSED APCH ALT. (MSA ALL QUADRANTS WAS 2900'.) GREATER VIGILANCE ON ALT CTL BY MYSELF AND CLRNC TO THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH ALT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS UNHAPPY EVENT. NO OTHER ACFT WERE INVOLVED. WE WERE #1 FOR THAT APCH. THE ACFT BEHIND US ELECTED TO TAKE APCH TO RWY 23. A WX SHIFT OR SQUALL APPEARED TO CROSS OVER THE FIELD JUST PRIOR TO OUR APCH AND LNDG, FURTHER COMPLICATING BOTH OUR PROCS AND EVENTS.

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