Wonder if they were downwind of something nasty or actually penetrated it? The Airbus has multiscan radar I think that should have easily depicted something that bad...but I would like to benefit them of the doubt that is was inadvertent.
Then Again. I broke off into holding in DEN last week to watch an American MD-83 behind me dive right into a Level 5 storm on the final...they told approach who was asking about the ride that " were thinking of going around " as you could hear the wind shear warning going off in the background...they boltered but had to fly entirely wall to wall through that storm...real nice