Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 463
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Procedure; Weather
On approach into ATL Runway 10; on about a three-mile final; we received a wind shear caution. I hesitated on the go-around because our go-around would have taken us directly into a thunderstorm; traffic on the northern runways barred a turn across the airport; we were not experiencing any indications of wind shear and the aircraft in 2.5 miles in front of us only experienced minor fluctuations in airspeed. We both knew we were supposed to initiate a normal go-around; but I thought the placement of the weather looked like bigger threat and I did not want to fly into it. We continued the approach; turned off the automation and prepared to initiate a wind shear recovery maneuver. We encountered only minor airspeed variations. By procedure we should have initiated a go around; I thought the weather's placement was a bigger threat; so I made the decision to continue.
While on an approximately 3-mile final to Runway 10 at ATL; we received a 'monitor radar display' aural message with the associated indication on the MFD (Multifunctional Flight Display) likely due to thunderstorms just to the east and south of the airport. Although the manuals tell us that we need to initiate a go-around in this situation; we as a crew quickly discussed initiating a go-around; at that moment; may not be the best decision. At that time; we were experiencing only small fluctuations in airspeed; and due to the location of the weather to our right and straight ahead; our only option would have been to do an immediately hard left turn towards parallel traffic on final for Runway 09R; which could of put us in a conflict of traffic situation. Also; with an aircraft just ahead of us on final also only reporting small losses and gains of airspeed on final; we felt the best decision was to continue the approach; monitor the aircraft performance; and be prepared to initiate a go-around if the conditions deteriorated any further. I definitely don't like going against what the book says or what we're taught in training; but I feel like there is not a one size fits all solution to all the situations that we can encounter while flying the line. We unfortunately encountered such a situation; and I feel like we made the best decision we could in order to keep the passengers; crew; and aircraft as safe as possible.
B737 flight crew reported continuing to land with wind shear warning to avoid weather and airborne conflict on go around.