Air carrier freighter makes hard landing during low visibility approach in night operation.

Attributes
ACN	171538
Time
Date	199102
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	171538
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	171691
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On an ILS 11R approach, we entered a skud layer at approximately 450' AGL. At 300' AGL I called approaching minimums. Just then the second officer called runway in sight. We broke out visually at approximately 280' AGL lined up slightly right of centerline. The captain made a correction and the aircraft began drifting to the left. The captain then made another correction to stop the left drift. The ADI (first officer's) indicated 102 degrees right wind down and 2 degree nose down. The captain had put the wing landing floods on, but not the nose landing lights. As we approached the T/D zone we could see the runway lights, but did not have the normal definition of the runway surface. The captain started the transition to the landing attitude a split second too late because neither he nor I realized how close we were to the runway. The aircraft hit the runway nose wheel first in a very hard landing that scraped #3 and #4 engine pods. Since then I have noticed that even under poor visibility and snow conditions the nose floods provide an important aid to landing and should be used!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FREIGHTER MAKES HARD LNDG DURING LOW VISIBILITY APCH IN NIGHT OPERATION.

Narrative: ON AN ILS 11R APCH, WE ENTERED A SKUD LAYER AT APPROX 450' AGL. AT 300' AGL I CALLED APCHING MINIMUMS. JUST THEN THE S/O CALLED RWY IN SIGHT. WE BROKE OUT VISUALLY AT APPROX 280' AGL LINED UP SLIGHTLY RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. THE CAPT MADE A CORRECTION AND THE ACFT BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. THE CAPT THEN MADE ANOTHER CORRECTION TO STOP THE LEFT DRIFT. THE ADI (F/O'S) INDICATED 102 DEGS RIGHT WIND DOWN AND 2 DEG NOSE DOWN. THE CAPT HAD PUT THE WING LNDG FLOODS ON, BUT NOT THE NOSE LNDG LIGHTS. AS WE APCHED THE T/D ZONE WE COULD SEE THE RWY LIGHTS, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE NORMAL DEFINITION OF THE RWY SURFACE. THE CAPT STARTED THE TRANSITION TO THE LNDG ATTITUDE A SPLIT SEC TOO LATE BECAUSE NEITHER HE NOR I REALIZED HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO THE RWY. THE ACFT HIT THE RWY NOSE WHEEL FIRST IN A VERY HARD LNDG THAT SCRAPED #3 AND #4 ENG PODS. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOTICED THAT EVEN UNDER POOR VISIBILITY AND SNOW CONDITIONS THE NOSE FLOODS PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT AID TO LNDG AND SHOULD BE USED!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.