What would you do??????????

[Fail passive]

Hi all
Just an interview question i was trying to get my head around.
Say you are established on the ILS and you notice (using wx radar) that a huge cell is directly ahead of you, close to the outer marker. OM is MAP. Havent broken visual yet. What would you do??
Now, first of all, obviously one wouldnt have commenced the approach and would have held until the storm passes by or dissipates or even divert if need be. However, the question states you are already established on the approach.
Secondly, a miss approach procedure can only commence at the MAP, and this being the OM in this scenario. Basically a climb from present position to OM would most likely still take you into the storm.
So, if you are familiar with the area (lets say your base), could you actually commence a go-around (even though IMC), that is turn left which would take you over the ocean and on reaching MSA track to the aid for holding even though a MA must be commenced at the MAP as stated in the approach plates.
No circling since still in IMC.
Any help appreciated.
Gather the stage of the storm must also be taken into account...but lets say a lot of yellow and red patches on the radar.:eek:

[cavortingcheetah]

:hmm:
This sort of dilemma used to arise all the time in Africa. Once weather radars ceased to be black and white and became rainbowed in hue, life became easier. Once purple was added to the colour schematic, the solution itself became apparent. One can ignore the yellow, one should, if possible, avoid the red and one must avoid the purple lest one offend the weather gods in their finery. So, in this case, with only red and yellow in the paint, why just blat straight through! It'll only take a minute anyway:suspect:

[GS-Alpha]

even though a MA must be commenced at the MAP as stated in the approach plates.
I think you will find that is refering to the need to go around if nothing is seen by the MAP. You can go around anytime you fancy. OK, the MA procedure may well instruct you to keep flying towards the MAP, so you then need to request a deviation if required.

[Blinkz]

In the real world you would call going around as soon as you knew you couldn't continue the approach, giving the reason to ATC. Climb above MSA and ask ATC for vectors away from the storm, or if no ATC available once above MSA manoeuvre to a relevant place to hold and wait for the storm to pass.

[MrHorgy]

Surely you can commence a go around at any point during the approach? I'd consult the other pilot and gather opinion, and if it was a no go then go around to enter the hold, liasing with ATC either until the storm has passed or until you had a moment to assess your options, whether that be diversion, another runway or otherwise. No point flying into the magenta mess just because the chart says you should!

Horgy

[Fail passive]

Thanks all.

So basically if in IMC, the option would be to carry out a go-around, cancel tracking to MAPt, climb to MSA and track to the aid for holding.

Appreciate your help

[-8AS]

Missed approach, climb to MSA and then deviate. Deviating below the MSA could put you in a much worse situation (IMC) unless a radar contoller can give you safe routing based on his/her radar minimum.