A319
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 110; Flight Crew Total 19000; Flight Crew Type 8000
Other / Unknown
Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Airport; Human Factors; Weather
We did a textbook Nav approach into Runway 20 at Richmond. Why am I submitting this report? Because we shouldn't have needed to!!! Runway 20 is less than 7;000 feet and it is a tight landing in VMC conditions. Last night and this morning it was rain; heavy rain with surface winds that are gusty. Yes; we checked runway performance. Yes it was legal. Yes we had IAD as an alternate and were committed to one approach and if we miss go straight to IAD. But why are we persisting in operating into RIC in conditions that are high risk? Get the long runway open or stop sending jets to land in IMC. VMC day only operations until the long runway is open again. Just because we got it done and did so legally and accomplished all rechecks of the landing data does not mean Richmond is a good airport to dispatch to in weather at the present time. There are no irregular Ops to report no damage illness or injury... But this was definitely not just another day at the office. This required everything to be spot on; crew still rested; airplane systems working right and the rain not increasing - as it has this morning- to make the operation succeed. I understand we need to move customers to their destinations but lets do so using appropriately sized facilities.
A319 Captain laments the closure of Runway 16/34 at RIC for construction; requiring the use of 6;600 foot Runway 20/2 under all circumstances.