Runway closed - Off Limits because of wind

[Maddie]

Good evening all,

Friday just gone I was on flight to Dublin, it was a smooth flight, no bumps, also when we landed there was virtually no wind either. However, on our final approach we had to go into a hold as the runway we were going to land on, had just been classified as off limits by ATC because of wind.

The 10 minute to land bell had already been announced and it was a few minutes after this that the Captain announced the delay and the reason for it, so it was obviously a relatively short-notice decision to switch runways.

I was just wondering what type of wind would have caused this, is it a particular type of cross-wind that just happened to be blowing around at that time. It was around 4.30pm.

Just curious as this has never happened to me before and I do fly a fair bit

[PAXboy]

All aircraft have a limit on the number of degrees, and wind speed in knots. There are rules about how strong it can be 'on the nose' and sequentially by degrees off.

It may be permitted to have (say) 10 knots at 5 degrees off but not 15 knots or (say) 5 knots at 10 degrees and so on.

There will be a period of time when the wind is transitioning from 'in limits' in one direction (and runway) and when it is back in limits for the reverse. The time for the switch to occur is all down (or up!) to nature.

I recall one afternoon sitting on board in JNB and a summer thunderstorm was coming through. We did not make it to the end of the runway before the wind started it's shift. So we trundled down to the other end and waited, took about 12 min in all as the storm was moving very fast. We were warned the departure would be bumpy and it sure was. Not least as we were in a BAe J41 (twin turbo prop, 29 seats!)

[ZeBedie]

I would guess that the delay was due to a change of runway in use, according to the published rules:

RWY 10/28 is the required RWY when the crosswind
component is 20 KT or less and the tailwind component is 5 KT or less. ACFT are
required to use this RWY except when operational reasons dictate otherwise.
RWY 28 will be preferential RWY when the tailwind component is 5KT or less.
ATC will initiate RWY changeover to RWY 16/34 when the crosswind component gust
on RWY 10/28 exceeds 15 KT. The RWY will be changed back to the required RWY
(10/28), when the crosswind component (max gust) drops below 15 KT for 30 min.

[The SSK]

I've been diverted due to wind - Sabena 737 LHR-Antwerp had to go to BRU. I didn't mind, that's where I was headed anyway!

[blaggerman]

The operating runway switched direction around that time from 28 to 10.