B737-800
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Situational Awareness; Distraction; Time Pressure
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Speed All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Company Policy; Human Factors; Weather
Dispatch contacted us while on the ground to move up our push time 15 minutes earlier than planned; due to thunderstorm activity moving toward our destination. We understood this change would enable us to land prior to the thunderstorm being a factor. While en route we asked Dispatch for an update on the weather; while monitoring real time weather from WSI; and discussing the weather with ATC. ATC reported that the front line of storms were 15 miles from the field moving at 15 miles an hour; with Tornado Warnings on the west side. We had 35 minutes left en route and discussed going to the west side and hold or east side. The thunderstorm was going to be very close; but indications were that we would be able to land ten minutes before the storm hit.Dispatch suggested we deviate west of the weather and hold to wait for the storm to push through. We discussed all options; agreed on the plan of action. Our real time assessment was that we were going to be able to arrive prior to the storm; so we coordinated with ATC to proceed direct to the FAF (Final Approach Fix) bypassing the planned RNAV arrival which was already being affected by the weather. Approach and Tower kept us apprised of the weather being very close to the field; so I elected to keep our speed up as much as possible and as short a final as possible. We coordinated with Tower to land on a Runway 32 to expedite our landing but tail winds were gusting at 15 kts.; so we continued to a different runway. We called visual with the field and were subsequently cleared for the visual approach.We arrived at the FAF high and fast; and as we turned final Tower informed us that it had just started raining; winds were gusting above 50 knots; and that there was a Windshear Advisory for the departure end. We could see heavy thunderstorm returns on the weather radar at the departure end of our landing runway and I determined for safety reasons that a go-around into the thunderstorm no longer was an option. Due to our high energy state and short final; the aircraft was not able to stabilize the approach at 1000 ft. Also; due to our high airspeed we were not able to configure with planned 30 flaps; but landed with 25 flaps. At approximately 1;000 ft; due to the gusty winds; we momentarily exceeded the 25 flap limiting speed by 15 kts. (Phase 1 Maintenance Inspection within 100 hours); and around 500 ft.; we received an audible 'Terrain Warning' due to our high sink rate. I arrested the sink rate and landed safely within the Touchdown Zone in heavy rain and gusty winds. We exited the runway at midfield and uneventfully taxied to park.
B737 Captain reported landing after an unstable approach due to thunderstorms and wind shear.