Author Topic: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert  (Read 36675 times)

Offline KSYR-pjr

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55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« on: June 23, 2008, 06:49:13 PM »
On August 2th, 1985, a Delta Air Lines L-1011 airliner crashed during the approach into Dallas/Fort Worth airport due to a microburst-induced wind shear (sudden change in the speed and/or direction of the wind over a relatively short distance) from a nearby thunderstorm.  Of the 163 passengers and crew aboard, 135 people including one in a car that was crushed by the aircraft were killed. 

This accident led to the advancement of microburst and wind shear detection technology, and these days numerous towered airports around the US (as well as the world) employ wind shear and microburst detection devices.

Over the last several days the Northeast US has been plagued with daily frontal thunderstorm activity.  While listening to the Syracuse, NY, feed this afternoon I overheard several microburst alerts culminating into a 55 knot microburst as an isolated thunderstorm passed directly over the field.

A radar image of the cell just prior to crossing the airport:



Attached is a four minute clip that begins with a Northwest Airlines aircraft that had just departed SYR negotiating vectors with departure control around thunderstorm cells to the west.  Following this brief exchange are several microburst alerts of increasing intensity being issued by the tower/ground controller.  The clip wraps up with an approaching aircraft being informed of the conditions at the airport.

Clip was edited to remove some of the dead-air.




Offline makonyy15

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2008, 10:20:12 PM »
I've been listening to this to the past couple days as well. This was quite a nasty storm that passed through. I know they've had plenty of these strong bands passing through for the past week all afternoon off and on.

Offline philip

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2008, 02:55:36 PM »
Wiat I dont understand...Is this a clip of the 1985 crash? I dont want to listen if it is as I dont like hearing people who have crashed as it's a bit horrible for me.

On August 2th, 1985, a Delta Air Lines L-1011 airliner crashed during the approach into Dallas/Fort Worth airport due to a microburst-induced wind shear (sudden change in the speed and/or direction of the wind over a relatively short distance) from a nearby thunderstorm.  Of the 163 passengers and crew aboard, 135 people including one in a car that was crushed by the aircraft were killed. 

This accident led to the advancement of microburst and wind shear detection technology, and these days numerous towered airports around the US (as well as the world) employ wind shear and microburst detection devices.

Over the last several days the Northeast US has been plagued with daily frontal thunderstorm activity.  While listening to the Syracuse, NY, feed this afternoon I overheard several microburst alerts culminating into a 55 knot microburst as an isolated thunderstorm passed directly over the field.

A radar image of the cell just prior to crossing the airport:



Attached is a four minute clip that begins with a Northwest Airlines aircraft that had just departed SYR negotiating vectors with departure control around thunderstorm cells to the west.  Following this brief exchange are several microburst alerts of increasing intensity being issued by the tower/ground controller.  The clip wraps up with an approaching aircraft being informed of the conditions at the airport.

Clip was edited to remove some of the dead-air.



Offline aviator_06

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2008, 03:50:31 PM »
Nice clip. First time hearing this alert over the radio.

Offline KSYR-pjr

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2008, 05:50:29 PM »
Thanks, aviator_06.  I was also intrigued as it was the first time I heard a microburst alert, too.  Heard many wind shear alerts, but that was the first MB alert.   As a non-career aviator, I am not sure I really want to hear such an alert first-hand while flying.  :)

Philip -  No, the clip is not of that particular accident.  I used that accident to illustrate the point that because of the accident there have been significant advancements in the understanding of  microburst phenomenon.   As a result, microburst detection technology is now prevalent throughout many towered airports today.  

This clip is an example of microburst detection technology at work, taken from my home airport last week.

Offline mattyd

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2008, 03:05:48 PM »
ha! hey that was me on freq! was some crazy stuff to see, surprisingly no one wanted to depart :lol:

Offline KSYR-pjr

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2008, 03:11:47 PM »
ha! hey that was me on freq! was some crazy stuff to see, surprisingly no one wanted to depart :lol:

Which one were you?  The tower controller, one of the approach controllers, or one of the pilots in the clip?

Offline mattyd

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2008, 03:15:08 PM »
i was the ground/local controller, they are usually combined because syr isnt as busy as it used to be

Offline KSYR-pjr

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2008, 03:30:36 PM »
Hey, welcome to the site! 

I always wondered what it is like for you controllers to be in the tower during a severe t-storm.  At what point are you allowed to seek safer ground?

Also, on that topic were you or any of your colleagues in the SYR tower during the 1998 Labor Day derecho (severe bow echo squall line that produced straight-line winds across the airport of almost 100 mph)?   That must have been truly scary to be up there as it passed over the airport.

Offline mattyd

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2008, 03:35:26 PM »
ah, the workload for controllers is raised when thunderstorms come through, coordinating for turns, climbs, deviations for wx, its a lotta stuff, luckily that day it wasnt busy at the airport. the only time im aware of where we can leave the tower is when wind is sustained at 55knots. the tower was actually struck by lightning a few weeks ago and shorted out the local controllers jack (where they plug into) but he didnt get hurt, so usually whenever storms roll through we go onto  hand held radios. i dont know anything about that '98 storm.

thanks for the welcome to the site, i usually listen to myself here and there to see how i sound. i just started there since january and working my way to finish the tower in the next few months. i was working during teh storm a few weeks ago when the hail moved through, visibility dropped  from 10 miles to 1/8 in seconds

Offline mattyd

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2008, 03:36:17 PM »
i just thought it was real funny when i saw the title of this thread, andim like "hey! thats me!" ha

Offline KSYR-pjr

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #11 on: July 02, 2008, 03:44:15 PM »
the tower was actually struck by lightning a few weeks ago and shorted out the local controllers jack (where they plug into) but he didnt get hurt, so usually whenever storms roll through we go onto  hand held radios.

I have the audio clip of the control tower getting struck by lightning from that day but there wasn't too much on the frequency to make it worthy of posting here. 

About the only short quote that was interesting to listen to from that audio clip was when one of the commercial pilots (forgot the company) on the tower frequency called the American Eagle pilot to say that he just saw the tower get hit by lightning and that is why the tower controller wasn't responding.

Offline airliner13

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2008, 05:43:19 PM »
i love it and i lvoed the vocie clips and i love reading things on planes and all tha stuff keep it comeing and hope to get more!

Offline NY Z Pilot

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2008, 07:56:11 PM »
we stay on headsets the whole time, if the radio blows out we have backups, then backups of the backups, generators, the whole 9. Evacuation begins when the winds hit 70 kts. Ive been up there with 45 kt gusts and the tower was swaying back and forth, you stand and you feel like your in a boat.

Offline NY Z Pilot

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2008, 11:32:17 AM »
had a level 6 roll through yesterday, awesome lightning show...some pics afterwards.


Offline KSYR-pjr

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Re: 55 knot microburst alert and wind shear alert
« Reply #15 on: July 10, 2008, 11:36:09 AM »
had a level 6 roll through yesterday, awesome lightning show...some pics afterwards.

Um, don't you mean "EXTREME" weather??  ;-)  ;-)

Nice rainbow, although I would have enjoyed the pics of the level 6... er... extreme weather and its lightning show moving overhead more.  :) Your pics are too peaceful.