A DC8 LNDG AT SJO; FO; IMPACTS SO HARD IT SEVERELY DAMAGES THE NOSEWHEEL.

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WE DEPARTED MIA ENRTE TO MROC; I WAS THE FO AND PF. DURING OUR DSCNT TO SAN JOSE; ATC RPTED WIND AT SAN JOSE 140 DEGS AT 10 KTS GUSTING TO 20 KTS. INBOUND FOR RWY 7 AFTER EXECUTING THE PROC TURN ON THE ILS AND DSNDING THROUGH 1000 FT AGL ON THE LOC AND GS WE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY ABNORMAL AIRSPD OR VERT SPD FLUCTUATIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE INDICATING THE POSSIBILITY OF WINDSHEAR. HOWEVER OUR WINDSHEAR ALERT SYS WAS INOP AND DEFERRED. MOMENTS AFTER DSNDING THROUGH 1000 FT AGL ON THE GS; ATC RPTED THAT 20 MINS PRIOR TO US; A B707 RPTED WINDSHEAR ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 7. AT THAT POINT IN TIME THE CAPT TOOK OVER CTL OF THE ACFT; AND HE CONTINUED THE APCH. DSNDING THROUGH 500 FT AGL; ATC RPTED THE WIND AS 140 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 30 KTS. HOWEVER; WE STILL DID NOT OBSERVE ANY UNUSUAL OR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS; OR ANYTHING THAT INDICATED WINDSHEAR; BUT WE DID START TO ENCOUNTER LIGHT TURB. IN THE LNDG FLARE I DID NOTE A 15-20 KT LOSS OF AIRSPD. THE MAIN LNDG GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY NORMALLY AND THE SPOILERS AND ENG REVERSERS ALSO DEPLOYED NORMALLY. THEN SUDDENLY THE NOSEWHEEL IMPACTED THE RWY WITH EXTREME FORCE. DURING THE TAXI INTO THE GATE; I NOTICED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS CONTINUALLY CHANGING WIND DIRECTION AND SPD. ON THE POSTFLT INSPECTION; THE ENGINEER NOTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. REPAIRS TO FIX THE ACFT WOULD REQUIRE AN ENTIRE NEW NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY. THE REASON FOR THE HARD LNDG AND CONSEQUENTLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY DUE TO A WINDSHEAR SHIFT FROM A QUARTERING HEADWIND; TO A QUARTERING TAILWIND ON TOUCHDOWN. HOWEVER; I FEEL THAT THE CAPT DID A GOOD JOB LNDG THE ACFT EVEN AFTER WE IMPACTED THE RWY. HOWEVER; BEING AFTER THE FACT OF COURSE; PERHAPS A BETTER AVENUE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED WITH MORE ATTN; WAS ABORTING THE APCH AND LNDG AT SAN JOSE; AND GOING TO OUR ALTERNATE ARPT.