Narrative:

We were cleared for the ILS 15 approach which was the only approach we were legal to use even though we had an 8 KT tailwind. The first officer was flying the aircraft. He is a very experienced pilot with 9 yrs at the airline plus in the military reserve flying program. We discussed the fact that the runway was wet, it was dark, and there was a tailwind. It was also raining and foggy. We wanted to make sure we landed in the first 1000 ft to maximize our stopping ability on the runway. The first officer flew an excellent, stabilized approach and we broke out of the clouds as advertised 100 ft above minimums. We immediately saw the runway lights since they seemed to be at full bright. All of our aircraft landing lights were on. The aircraft continued its descent properly to touchdown in the touchdown zone but the first officer never decreased the descent rate to flare the aircraft. A hard landing resulted in the touchdown zone's first 1000 ft. Rollout and stopping were normal. The primary reason for the hard landing was that depth perception on this landing was almost non existent. As captain, I did not realize (as did not the first officer) how close we were to landing until it was too late for me to take control of the aircraft. The reasons for that lack of depth perception are several. This is a classic 'black hole' approach. It was very dark,the runway slopes upward from the approach end. The brightness of the runway lights seemed to obscure the runway surface. Our ground speed, due to the tailwind, was also a bit higher than normal. We also had a mindset to 'get the aircraft on the runway.' all of this contributed to the hard landing. No one in the aircraft was injured and I wrote the hard landing up in the logbook. A mechanic inspected the aircraft for any damage and none was found. The aircraft was signed off by the mechanic and returned to service. Supplemental information from acn 294638: the runway lights were very brightly lit, too bright for the dark night. The approach end of runway 15 slopes upward, which added to the misjudgement of the ht above the runway surface. We landed very hard. As the PF, I momentarily lost view of the runway surface due to the runway lights being so bright. There are no centerline lights. I suggest that the runway lights not be lit so brightly when low ceilings occur after darkness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC MAKES HARD LNDG IN BLACK HOLE EFFECT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS 15 APCH WHICH WAS THE ONLY APCH WE WERE LEGAL TO USE EVEN THOUGH WE HAD AN 8 KT TAILWIND. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. HE IS A VERY EXPERIENCED PLT WITH 9 YRS AT THE AIRLINE PLUS IN THE MIL RESERVE FLYING PROGRAM. WE DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT THE RWY WAS WET, IT WAS DARK, AND THERE WAS A TAILWIND. IT WAS ALSO RAINING AND FOGGY. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE LANDED IN THE FIRST 1000 FT TO MAXIMIZE OUR STOPPING ABILITY ON THE RWY. THE FO FLEW AN EXCELLENT, STABILIZED APCH AND WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AS ADVERTISED 100 FT ABOVE MINIMUMS. WE IMMEDIATELY SAW THE RWY LIGHTS SINCE THEY SEEMED TO BE AT FULL BRIGHT. ALL OF OUR ACFT LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON. THE ACFT CONTINUED ITS DSCNT PROPERLY TO TOUCHDOWN IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE BUT THE FO NEVER DECREASED THE DSCNT RATE TO FLARE THE ACFT. A HARD LNDG RESULTED IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE'S FIRST 1000 FT. ROLLOUT AND STOPPING WERE NORMAL. THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THE HARD LNDG WAS THAT DEPTH PERCEPTION ON THIS LNDG WAS ALMOST NON EXISTENT. AS CAPT, I DID NOT REALIZE (AS DID NOT THE FO) HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO LNDG UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE FOR ME TO TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT. THE REASONS FOR THAT LACK OF DEPTH PERCEPTION ARE SEVERAL. THIS IS A CLASSIC 'BLACK HOLE' APCH. IT WAS VERY DARK,THE RWY SLOPES UPWARD FROM THE APCH END. THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE RWY LIGHTS SEEMED TO OBSCURE THE RWY SURFACE. OUR GND SPD, DUE TO THE TAILWIND, WAS ALSO A BIT HIGHER THAN NORMAL. WE ALSO HAD A MINDSET TO 'GET THE ACFT ON THE RWY.' ALL OF THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE HARD LNDG. NO ONE IN THE ACFT WAS INJURED AND I WROTE THE HARD LNDG UP IN THE LOGBOOK. A MECH INSPECTED THE ACFT FOR ANY DAMAGE AND NONE WAS FOUND. THE ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF BY THE MECH AND RETURNED TO SVC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294638: THE RWY LIGHTS WERE VERY BRIGHTLY LIT, TOO BRIGHT FOR THE DARK NIGHT. THE APCH END OF RWY 15 SLOPES UPWARD, WHICH ADDED TO THE MISJUDGEMENT OF THE HT ABOVE THE RWY SURFACE. WE LANDED VERY HARD. AS THE PF, I MOMENTARILY LOST VIEW OF THE RWY SURFACE DUE TO THE RWY LIGHTS BEING SO BRIGHT. THERE ARE NO CTRLINE LIGHTS. I SUGGEST THAT THE RWY LIGHTS NOT BE LIT SO BRIGHTLY WHEN LOW CEILINGS OCCUR AFTER DARKNESS.

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.