FOKKER 100 ACFT ON APCH ENCOUNTERED EDGE OF TSTM WITH HVY RAIN AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. RPTR CAPT STATES THAT TWR VISIBILITY IS NOT ACCURATE FOR END OF RWY OR TOUCHDOWN POINT.

Date: 1997-06 · Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng · Phase: approach

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified

Synopsis

FOKKER 100 ACFT ON APCH ENCOUNTERED EDGE OF TSTM WITH HVY RAIN AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. RPTR CAPT STATES THAT TWR VISIBILITY IS NOT ACCURATE FOR END OF RWY OR TOUCHDOWN POINT.

Narrative

APCHING CMH FROM THE S; WE OBSERVED MUCH CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ALONG OUR RTE. A LINE OF CELLS RAN E-W; S OF THE ARPT PARALLEL TO THE LOC COURSE. NUMEROUS BREAKS IN THE LINE WERE OBSERVED ON THE RADAR. 1 CELL WAS OBSERVED ABOUT 5 MI S OF THE ARPT ITSELF. APCH TOLD US THAT IT WAS STATIONARY AND WAS BUILDING; AND THE PLAN WAS TO BRING US THROUGH ONE OF THE BREAKS IN THE LINE AND BRING US IN FROM THE N ON A VISUAL. OUTSIDE THE FAF; I DECIDED TO ASK THE FINAL CTLR FOR AN ILS DUE TO THE RAGGED BOTTOM OF THE CLOUDS; INTERCEPTING THE GS WE HAD GND CONTACT AND A SMOOTH RIDE. OUR RADAR WAS PAINTING SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE AREA; BUT THE MOST SEVERE REMAINED 3-4 MI S OF THE ARPT. AROUND 3 MI OUT THE TWR RPTED RAIN STARTING AT THE APCH END OF RWY 10R. WE ASKED THE VISIBILITY AND WERE TOLD 2 MI. STILL SMOOTH CONDITIONS WITH NO AIRSPD DEVS. WE PROCEEDED; PICKED UP THE APCH LIGHTS AND RAIN SIMULTANEOUSLY. AS WE BEGAN FLARE; FLEW INTO AREA OF MODERATE TO HVY RAINSHOWERS. NEVER VISUALLY LOSING THE RWY LIGHTS; LNDG WAS MADE MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO DEGRADATION OF DEPTH PERCEPTION FROM THE RAIN. IN RETROSPECT; SHOULD HAVE OBSERVED ENTIRE LINE OF CELLS FOR MOVEMENT; EVEN HOLDING FOR A WHILE; IF NEEDED; TO DETERMINE SO. UNDULY INFLUENCED BY CTLRS RPT OF STATIONARY WX. CONTINUED APCH DESPITE RAIN BEGINNING RPT BECAUSE OF GOOD VISIBILITY. HOWEVER THIS WAS PROBABLY TWR VISIBILITY; AND NO ACCURATE RPT OF VISIBILITY WAS AVAILABLE OR AT LEAST GIVEN FOR THE APCH END. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT OPERATING IN THIS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ON A REGULAR BASIS; ALL SUMMER LONG; BREEDS SOME DEG OF COMPLACENCY. NOT COMPLACENCY TOWARD A TSTM ITSELF; BUT TOWARD THE PWR THEY CAN EXHIBIT IN WINDS AND RAIN MI FROM THE MOST SEVERE RETURNS ON RADAR.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.