Narrative:

On apr/wed/95 I was a member of the 'heavy crew' of flight XXXX from saez to ellx. Approximately 2 hours prior to landing at ellx, I relieved the flight engineer from his duties and became the acting flight engineer for the balance of the flight from saez to ellx. The descent into ellx was initiated at XA10Z according to the flight plan and continued smoothly throughout the profile. All necessary and required approach callouts were made during the approach sequence. All checklists and crew functions were performed in a timely and professional manner. By 150 ft AGL, I had expanded my visual focus to the forward pilot's instrument panel to accommodate the 'short final' ht callouts. When we reached approximately 100 ft AGL we received a GS aural warning. I saw captain initiate a response to the condition with a throttle and pitch correction. The warning ceased and the touchdown was completed without any apparent abnormalities. We taxied the aircraft to our parking area, completed all shutdown and securing checklists, activities, and logbook procedures. On postflt inspection, I noted minor damage to 2 main gear tires. It was surmised that the damage occurred on departure from saez. The tire discrepancy was brought to the flight mechanic's attention and I left with the crew to the hotel. 30 mins after arriving at the hotel, the crew was returned to the airport and informed of the apparent damage to the 'short final' approach lighting system. I attended a physical inspection of the damaged approach light area. I found 10 lights sheared from their mounting posts, beginning approximately 50 yards from touchdown. The tilted aft main wheels appeared to have made a grazing contact with the ground around 100 ft. The tracks appeared to be 2-3 inches in depth at their deepest point. Supplemental information from acn 302598: upon transitioning from IMC to VMC the PF went below the normal GS. I feel the reason for this below normal GS approach profile was the fact the PF had just transitioned from a narrow body aircraft to this B-747. A visual sight picture from a dc-8 to a b- 747 is significantly different. I believe this could be corrected by additional approachs being required during training and initial operating experience. Supplemental information from acn 302516: conversation in the cockpit regarding the early touchdown precipitated a postflt inspection. My awareness of the critical nature of this B-747 'visual' picture on final will change my final approach focus and insure that this sort of event will not occur again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SHORTLY AFTER TRANSITIONING FROM IMC TO VMC, A B-747 FLC DSNDED BELOW THE ILS GS SCRAPING THE TIRES ON THE RWY LIGHTS. ACFT WAS TOO LOW FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION TO TAKE EFFECT.

Narrative: ON APR/WED/95 I WAS A MEMBER OF THE 'HVY CREW' OF FLT XXXX FROM SAEZ TO ELLX. APPROX 2 HRS PRIOR TO LNDG AT ELLX, I RELIEVED THE FE FROM HIS DUTIES AND BECAME THE ACTING FE FOR THE BAL OF THE FLT FROM SAEZ TO ELLX. THE DSCNT INTO ELLX WAS INITIATED AT XA10Z ACCORDING TO THE FLT PLAN AND CONTINUED SMOOTHLY THROUGHOUT THE PROFILE. ALL NECESSARY AND REQUIRED APCH CALLOUTS WERE MADE DURING THE APCH SEQUENCE. ALL CHKLISTS AND CREW FUNCTIONS WERE PERFORMED IN A TIMELY AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER. BY 150 FT AGL, I HAD EXPANDED MY VISUAL FOCUS TO THE FORWARD PLT'S INST PANEL TO ACCOMMODATE THE 'SHORT FINAL' HT CALLOUTS. WHEN WE REACHED APPROX 100 FT AGL WE RECEIVED A GS AURAL WARNING. I SAW CAPT INITIATE A RESPONSE TO THE CONDITION WITH A THROTTLE AND PITCH CORRECTION. THE WARNING CEASED AND THE TOUCHDOWN WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT ANY APPARENT ABNORMALITIES. WE TAXIED THE ACFT TO OUR PARKING AREA, COMPLETED ALL SHUTDOWN AND SECURING CHKLISTS, ACTIVITIES, AND LOGBOOK PROCS. ON POSTFLT INSPECTION, I NOTED MINOR DAMAGE TO 2 MAIN GEAR TIRES. IT WAS SURMISED THAT THE DAMAGE OCCURRED ON DEP FROM SAEZ. THE TIRE DISCREPANCY WAS BROUGHT TO THE FLT MECH'S ATTN AND I LEFT WITH THE CREW TO THE HOTEL. 30 MINS AFTER ARRIVING AT THE HOTEL, THE CREW WAS RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND INFORMED OF THE APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE 'SHORT FINAL' APCH LIGHTING SYS. I ATTENDED A PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGED APCH LIGHT AREA. I FOUND 10 LIGHTS SHEARED FROM THEIR MOUNTING POSTS, BEGINNING APPROX 50 YARDS FROM TOUCHDOWN. THE TILTED AFT MAIN WHEELS APPEARED TO HAVE MADE A GRAZING CONTACT WITH THE GND AROUND 100 FT. THE TRACKS APPEARED TO BE 2-3 INCHES IN DEPTH AT THEIR DEEPEST POINT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 302598: UPON TRANSITIONING FROM IMC TO VMC THE PF WENT BELOW THE NORMAL GS. I FEEL THE REASON FOR THIS BELOW NORMAL GS APCH PROFILE WAS THE FACT THE PF HAD JUST TRANSITIONED FROM A NARROW BODY ACFT TO THIS B-747. A VISUAL SIGHT PICTURE FROM A DC-8 TO A B- 747 IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE CORRECTED BY ADDITIONAL APCHS BEING REQUIRED DURING TRAINING AND INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 302516: CONVERSATION IN THE COCKPIT REGARDING THE EARLY TOUCHDOWN PRECIPITATED A POSTFLT INSPECTION. MY AWARENESS OF THE CRITICAL NATURE OF THIS B-747 'VISUAL' PICTURE ON FINAL WILL CHANGE MY FINAL APCH FOCUS AND INSURE THAT THIS SORT OF EVENT WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN.

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.