A B727 LNDG AT ORD; IL; SCRAPES THE R WING LEADING EDGE DEVICE AS THE ACFT MAKES A FIRM LNDG. FLC UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT.

Narrative

ON NOV/XX/97; I WAS IN COMMAND OF AN ACR B727; WHICH CONSISTED OF 3 FLC MEMBERS. OUR DAY ORIGINATED IN DENVER. WE KEPT THE SAME ACFT FOR THE 3 LEGS. (DEN-ATL; FLT XA/ATL-ORD; FLT XB/ORD-EWR; FLT XC.) WX WAS VFR IN ATL AND EWR. ON THE OTHER HAND; WX AT ORD WAS 1800 FT RVR. I INITIALLY BRIEFED BOTH THE CAT 1 AND CAT 2 APCHS INTO RWY 14R (JUST IN CASE). WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR RWY 14L AT WHICH POINT I BRIEFED BOTH APCHS FOR RWY 14L (CAT 1 AND CAT 2). IT WAS A PRETTY LONG FINAL AND WE HAD TIME TO SET UP. I HAD A SLIGHT PROB ENGAGING THE AUTOPLT SO I ELECTED TO SHOOT A HAND FLOWN CAT 1 APCH DOWN TO A DECISION HT OF 852 FT (200 FT AGL). I COULD ONLY SAY THAT WHEN WE BROKE OUT WE WERE JUST R OF CTRLINE AND CORRECTED. IT WAS NOT A PRETTY LNDG. THAT IS BECAUSE I TOUCHED DOWN SLIGHTLY COCKED TO THE L. I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBS UNTIL IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN BY THE FLT OFFICE. APPARENTLY; ACCORDINGLY TO MAINT THERE WAS SOME APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE #8 LEADING EDGE SLAT ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. IF WE WERE THE CAUSE OF SUCH DAMAGE; I CAN ONLY SPECULATE THAT IT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED DURING THAT ONE LNDG. IT WASN'T A PRETTY LNDG; BUT NOTHING ANY OF US THOUGHT WAS CAUSE FOR ALARM. HAD WE SUSPECTED ANYTHING; I WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TO NOTIFY THE APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUALS IMMEDIATELY. NOTHING WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN BY MAINT OR MY SO PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE GATE AT ORD. IF I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO CAUSE DAMAGE; EVEN THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; I WOULD HAVE ELECTED AS A CORRECTIVE ACTION TO DO A GAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 387114: 4 HRS AFTER THE PLANE REACHED EWR; A 6 INCH SCRAPE WAS FOUND ON THE R WING OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE DEVICE. WE WERE NOTIFIED THE NEXT DAY. THE CREW WAS UNAWARE OF ANY DAMAGE DURING THE 3 LEGS. AT THIS POINT WE DO NOT KNOW IF WE CAUSED THE DAMAGE. IF WE DID; IT WAS MOST LIKELY ON THE LNDG AT ORD WHICH REQUIRED A LAST MIN CORRECTION IN THE FOG (1800 FT RVR). THE CORRECTION WAS REQUIRED DUE TO AN INITIAL LINE UP SLIGHTLY R OF THE RWY CTRLINE. R WING DOWN WAS REQUIRED TO STOP THE L DRIFT AT THE LAST MOMENT. NO ONE IN THE COCKPIT OR CABIN SAW OR FELT ANYTHING TO SUGGEST THAT THE WING LEADING EDGE DEVICE HIT THE RWY.