Improve Wind Detection Capabilities at Salt Lake City International Airport

​We are ​​providing the following information to urge the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take action on the safety recommendations in this report. These recommendations are derived from findings from our investigation of a July 2022 airplane ​accident in which a cargo pilot encountered a microburst during an attempted go-around that caused the airplane to descend and impact terrain, resulting in minor injury to the pilot and substantial damage to the airplane.​​​

​​Salt Lake City International Airport’s susceptibility to convective, mountain-wave, and additional wind-related hazards warrants an enhancement of its current wind detection capabilities to improve tower controllers’ awareness of such hazards and their ability to alert pilots before departure and arrival.

Wind sensing capabilities at other 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 139 airports may need to be similarly enhanced to support tower controllers’ ability to alert pilots about wind hazards in a timely manner. 

​As a result of this investigation, we issued two new recommendations. Read the complete list of recommendations​​​​​​. ​We issued recommendations to:

To the Federal Aviation Administration:

• Install a low-level wind shear alerting system-network expansion at Salt Lake City International Airport and add the appropriate number of wind sensors based on land area coverage and terrain features to detect and warn of microburst activity. (A-25-34)
• ​Ensure that all Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 139 airports within the National Airspace System that are susceptible to mountain wave and convective-related wind hazards have sufficient wind detection capabilities to warn of windshear and microburst activity in real time. (A-25-35)