Autoland autoflare malfunction hard landing.

Attributes
ACN	305663
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	305663
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	305976
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Descent and approach into lax normal. Since airplane was on autoplt, I decided to leave it on for the approach and landing. Everything was normal during approach and at about 700 ft had runway in sight. As aircraft was nearing ground, I noticed aircraft was not flaring as it should on autoland. At that time I heard computer call out sink rate and at that time both copilot and I grabbed controls to arrest sink rate. However, we were not quick enough to be successful completely and aircraft hit ground very firmly but did not bounce. Wrote up autoplt in logbook. Also wrote up to check under aircraft because of landing. Problem arose because of malfunction of autoplt. I could have landed manually and problem would not have occurred. But also I think it is good to check the autoplts in visual conditions to know it is working properly. Also we were operating on #2 autoplt because #1 autoplt was inoperative. If #1 autoplt was working we could have made a dual autoland and again problem may not have occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AUTOLAND AUTOFLARE MALFUNCTION HARD LNDG.

Narrative: DSCNT AND APCH INTO LAX NORMAL. SINCE AIRPLANE WAS ON AUTOPLT, I DECIDED TO LEAVE IT ON FOR THE APCH AND LNDG. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL DURING APCH AND AT ABOUT 700 FT HAD RWY IN SIGHT. AS ACFT WAS NEARING GND, I NOTICED ACFT WAS NOT FLARING AS IT SHOULD ON AUTOLAND. AT THAT TIME I HEARD COMPUTER CALL OUT SINK RATE AND AT THAT TIME BOTH COPLT AND I GRABBED CTLS TO ARREST SINK RATE. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT QUICK ENOUGH TO BE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETELY AND ACFT HIT GND VERY FIRMLY BUT DID NOT BOUNCE. WROTE UP AUTOPLT IN LOGBOOK. ALSO WROTE UP TO CHK UNDER ACFT BECAUSE OF LNDG. PROB AROSE BECAUSE OF MALFUNCTION OF AUTOPLT. I COULD HAVE LANDED MANUALLY AND PROB WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. BUT ALSO I THINK IT IS GOOD TO CHK THE AUTOPLTS IN VISUAL CONDITIONS TO KNOW IT IS WORKING PROPERLY. ALSO WE WERE OPERATING ON #2 AUTOPLT BECAUSE #1 AUTOPLT WAS INOP. IF #1 AUTOPLT WAS WORKING WE COULD HAVE MADE A DUAL AUTOLAND AND AGAIN PROB MAY NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

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.