AN A321 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB ON SHORT FINAL. UNABLE TO ARREST THE INCREASED SINK RATE; A HARD LNDG RESULTED.
Synopsis
AN A321 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURB ON SHORT FINAL. UNABLE TO ARREST THE INCREASED SINK RATE; A HARD LNDG RESULTED.
Narrative
APPROACH SLOWED US REPEATEDLY AND FINALLY TO 140 KTS ON 10-15 MI FINAL TO RWY 24R FOLLOWING A HEAVY B767. THE CAPTAIN WAS THE PF. WE WERE CONFIGURED AND STABLE WELL ABOVE 1000 FT. WE BROKE OUT AROUND 700 FT WITH THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT; AND NO SIGN OF THE B767. FLIGHT CONDITIONS WERE PERFECTLY SMOOTH. THE CAPTAIN DISCONNECTED THE AUTO THRUST AROUND 500 FT. I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ABNORMAL UNTIL WE WERE AROUND 100 FT ABOVE THE RUNWAY. WE ENCOUNTERED SLIGHT TURBULENCE; AND THE CAPTAIN LEVELED THE WINGS. IN THE LAST FEW SECONDS; THE SINK RATE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY; AND WE HIT HARD. IT WAS NOT APPARENT THAT WE HAD HIT THE TAIL; BUT WE BOTH AGREED THAT MAINTENANCE NEEDED TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. I CALLED MAINT ON THE TAXI IN TO REQUEST THAT THEY MEET US FOR A HARD LANDING INSPECTION. ON INSPECTION; THE TAIL HAD SCRAPED THE RUNWAY. DUE TO THE LIGHT WINDS/FOG CONDITIONS; I BELIEVE WE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE B767 HEAVY AHEAD. WHILE THE CAPTAIN TRIED TO ARREST THE SINK RATE; THE WAKE TURBULENCE WAS TOO SEVERE AND WE WERE TOO LOW TO RECOVER. WHILE WE DID DISCUSS THAT WE WERE FLYING A 321 AND EXERCISE CAUTION FOR A TAIL STRIKE DURING THE APPROACH BRIEF; WE COULD HAVE DISCUSSED POSSIBLE WAKE TURBULENCE WHEN WE DISCOVERED THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING A 767 HEAVY. THIS HAPPENED SO QUICKLY; WE WERE BOTH LOOKING OUTSIDE ALARMED AT THE SINK RATE; SO THERE WAS NO TIME FOR A PM PITCH CALL. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE AN AUTOMATED CALL; SIMILAR TO 'RETARD.' I ALSO THINK THIS AIRPLANE NEEDS A TAILSKID TO PREVENT DAMAGE. MAYBE THIS FLIGHT DATA COULD BE PROGRAMMED INTO THE SIMULATOR FOR A TRAINING EVENT. IN REVIEWING OUR PH AND FOM LANDING SECTIONS; I COULD NOT FIND ANY CRITERIA OR GUIDANCE FOR DEALING WITH APPROACH BEHIND A HEAVY OR ENCOUNTERING WAKE TURBULENCE.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.