Low level windshear -- air carrier freighter touches down short of runway in a heavy rainstorm.

Attributes
ACN	306930
Time
Date	199506
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pty
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pty
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	306930
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 15377 flight time type : 5100
ASRS Report	306932
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On an IFR approach to runway 3R at tocumen airport in panama city, panama, the aircraft, a B747-200, landed short of the runway, bounced onto the runway and in so doing, damaged both the approach lights and the aircraft. A heavy driving tropical rain storm with a bit of aft quartering tailwind, low visibility, some turbulence, and possible windshear, contributed to the situation. I saw the runway approach lights at about 500 ft and about 1 1/2 mi out. I didn't see the runway until we were under 300 ft, but I never lost sight of the approach lights. We broke out about 200 ft, we looked low and I heard the stick shaker. The captain then added power but we landed short and bounced onto the runway. We slowed without further incident and taxied in to the ramp. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the captain said that the FAA concluded that windshear was the cause of the incident. The B747-238B freighter suffered skin damage primarily due to contact with the approach light stanchions and it is now back in service. The captain said that the WX conditions were not very good, but were well above the minimums required for the approach according to the tower's report. There were no injuries.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR -- ACR FREIGHTER TOUCHES DOWN SHORT OF RWY IN A HVY RAINSTORM.

Narrative: ON AN IFR APCH TO RWY 3R AT TOCUMEN ARPT IN PANAMA CITY, PANAMA, THE ACFT, A B747-200, LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY, BOUNCED ONTO THE RWY AND IN SO DOING, DAMAGED BOTH THE APCH LIGHTS AND THE ACFT. A HVY DRIVING TROPICAL RAIN STORM WITH A BIT OF AFT QUARTERING TAILWIND, LOW VISIBILITY, SOME TURB, AND POSSIBLE WINDSHEAR, CONTRIBUTED TO THE SIT. I SAW THE RWY APCH LIGHTS AT ABOUT 500 FT AND ABOUT 1 1/2 MI OUT. I DIDN'T SEE THE RWY UNTIL WE WERE UNDER 300 FT, BUT I NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE APCH LIGHTS. WE BROKE OUT ABOUT 200 FT, WE LOOKED LOW AND I HEARD THE STICK SHAKER. THE CAPT THEN ADDED PWR BUT WE LANDED SHORT AND BOUNCED ONTO THE RWY. WE SLOWED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND TAXIED IN TO THE RAMP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE CAPT SAID THAT THE FAA CONCLUDED THAT WINDSHEAR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. THE B747-238B FREIGHTER SUFFERED SKIN DAMAGE PRIMARILY DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE APCH LIGHT STANCHIONS AND IT IS NOW BACK IN SVC. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE WX CONDITIONS WERE NOT VERY GOOD, BUT WERE WELL ABOVE THE MINIMUMS REQUIRED FOR THE APCH ACCORDING TO THE TWR'S RPT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

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.