Narrative:

A smooth touchdown on main and wing gear was made on ord runway 9R at XA32. There was a slight crosswind from the left, and some crosswind correction had been made. Reversers were deployed, deceleration was normal. As I lowered the nosewheel, I momentarily removed my hand from the reverse levers to aid in lowering the nosewheel and keeping the wings level. I heard and felt an increase in reverse thrust, noticed the first officer's hand on the reverse thrust levers, and immediately placed my hand back on the reverse levers. Simultaneously, the nosewheel firmly contacted the runway, and I felt a sudden, momentary yaw. The remainder of the landing roll, runway exit, taxi, and parking were all normal. No calls were received from the cabin. About 3/4 of an hour later, I was met by the first officer. He stated that a flight attendant had asked him to help her with her bags because her back had been hurt. She stated (to the first officer) that she had blocked the movement of a food or beverage cart which had broken loose on landing, and appeared to be headed toward passenger seats. The location was the aft (coach) galley. Several mins later, I was approached by a flight manager who asked me what I new about 'injuries to 3 flight attendants.' I related what I had been told by the first officer. The flight manager recommended that I file a NASA report. It is my belief that the rate at which I was lowering the nosewheel was increased due to the addition of reverse thrust by the first officer, and that there was inadequate time for me to compensate for the increased rate and assure that the nosewheel was centered before runway contact. Nosewheel contact was premature, given the initial rate pitch decrease. Most likely, the sudden yaw was caused by the nosewheel contacting the runway unctred. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he does not know for certain the extent of any flight attendant injuries. He was told that there were some sprains and strains but no reports of any broken bones, why or how the cart came loose has not been determined. As a result of this incident, the reporter has determined to take early retirement. He stated that event was pivotal in his career. Reporter was new at flying the captain position, 5 months experience, but has over 4000 hours flight time in this aircraft. One of the things that bothered him was getting used to flying from the left side instead of the right side. He stated it slowed him in getting into reverse thrust. Supplemental information from acn 376828: captain allowed or caused left wing to drop excessively for wind conditions and applied excessive right rudder. Wind condition was 040 degrees at 4 KTS. The result was a touchdown left of center with the left wing excessively down. I applied slight right aileron to prevent an outboard pod/wingtip making ground contact. Main gear touchdown was smooth but the nose was excessively yawed to the right. The captain brought the nose gear down abruptly to the runway, still in an excessive yaw right condition. I also noticed that the only minimal reverse thrust had been applied. I reached up and added additional reverse thrust to the near vertical position. The captain exited the runway at taxiway M6, decelerating toward 60 KTS, still in reverse thrust. Taxi instructions were from the tower to remain on the same frequency and to cross taxiway M on M6 to taxiway D to gate XXX at the international terminal. I acknowledged the instructions and the captain indicated that he understood them also. I started my after landing flows while still on taxiway M6 high speed. At taxiway M, the captain initiated a right turn onto taxiway M. The second bunkie yelled 'where the hell is he going?' and the captain abruptly jerked the nose gear and brakes in an attempt to follow taxiway M6 to taxiway D. However, it was too late, and a subsequent taxi east on taxiway M to taxiway M7, then taxiway D was completed in order to return to the stated taxi clearance to the gate. I called the tower and told them that we missed taxiway M6 and were going down taxiway M to return to taxiway D. I found nose gear tire scrubbing indications, but no wingtip or pod damage. The captain did not return to operations with the crew. I was informed by a flight attendant that she and another flight attendant had been hurt on landing because a cart broke loose in the galley close to where they were sitting. In order to prevent it from going down the aisle toward passenger, they left their seats and stopped it, hurting themselves in the process. She also indicated that 3 different individuals had checked the carts latched/locked in place prior to landing. Supplemental information from acn 376826: during the flight the PF (captain) did not demonstrate confidence in his knowledge and flying abilities. By the time the flight reached the landing phase the 3 coplts (1 flying, 2 non flying) were also concerned about his abilities. The flare was abrupt, slightly ballooning, and a left roll occurred to the point that the copilot had to make corrective input in order to keep the #1 pod from contacting the runway. The nosewheel then made an abrupt contact at an angle causing a fairly severe shudder. Although I wouldn't characterize the landing as 'hard' it was not, in my estimation, under control by the PF and it could have resulted in equipment in the cabin coming loose and causing damage/injury.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 MAKES A FIRM LNDG AT ORD WITH THE ACFT IN A CRAB. OTHER FLC MEMBERS ASSUME CAPT IS NOT IN FULL CTL AND START ADDING THEIR CTL INPUTS. 3 FLT ATTENDANTS STATE THEY WERE INJURED.

Narrative: A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN ON MAIN AND WING GEAR WAS MADE ON ORD RWY 9R AT XA32. THERE WAS A SLIGHT XWIND FROM THE L, AND SOME XWIND CORRECTION HAD BEEN MADE. REVERSERS WERE DEPLOYED, DECELERATION WAS NORMAL. AS I LOWERED THE NOSEWHEEL, I MOMENTARILY REMOVED MY HAND FROM THE REVERSE LEVERS TO AID IN LOWERING THE NOSEWHEEL AND KEEPING THE WINGS LEVEL. I HEARD AND FELT AN INCREASE IN REVERSE THRUST, NOTICED THE FO'S HAND ON THE REVERSE THRUST LEVERS, AND IMMEDIATELY PLACED MY HAND BACK ON THE REVERSE LEVERS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE NOSEWHEEL FIRMLY CONTACTED THE RWY, AND I FELT A SUDDEN, MOMENTARY YAW. THE REMAINDER OF THE LNDG ROLL, RWY EXIT, TAXI, AND PARKING WERE ALL NORMAL. NO CALLS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE CABIN. ABOUT 3/4 OF AN HR LATER, I WAS MET BY THE FO. HE STATED THAT A FLT ATTENDANT HAD ASKED HIM TO HELP HER WITH HER BAGS BECAUSE HER BACK HAD BEEN HURT. SHE STATED (TO THE FO) THAT SHE HAD BLOCKED THE MOVEMENT OF A FOOD OR BEVERAGE CART WHICH HAD BROKEN LOOSE ON LNDG, AND APPEARED TO BE HEADED TOWARD PAX SEATS. THE LOCATION WAS THE AFT (COACH) GALLEY. SEVERAL MINS LATER, I WAS APCHED BY A FLT MGR WHO ASKED ME WHAT I NEW ABOUT 'INJURIES TO 3 FLT ATTENDANTS.' I RELATED WHAT I HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE FO. THE FLT MGR RECOMMENDED THAT I FILE A NASA RPT. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE RATE AT WHICH I WAS LOWERING THE NOSEWHEEL WAS INCREASED DUE TO THE ADDITION OF REVERSE THRUST BY THE FO, AND THAT THERE WAS INADEQUATE TIME FOR ME TO COMPENSATE FOR THE INCREASED RATE AND ASSURE THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS CTRED BEFORE RWY CONTACT. NOSEWHEEL CONTACT WAS PREMATURE, GIVEN THE INITIAL RATE PITCH DECREASE. MOST LIKELY, THE SUDDEN YAW WAS CAUSED BY THE NOSEWHEEL CONTACTING THE RWY UNCTRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE DOES NOT KNOW FOR CERTAIN THE EXTENT OF ANY FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES. HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE SOME SPRAINS AND STRAINS BUT NO RPTS OF ANY BROKEN BONES, WHY OR HOW THE CART CAME LOOSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, THE RPTR HAS DETERMINED TO TAKE EARLY RETIREMENT. HE STATED THAT EVENT WAS PIVOTAL IN HIS CAREER. RPTR WAS NEW AT FLYING THE CAPT POS, 5 MONTHS EXPERIENCE, BUT HAS OVER 4000 HRS FLT TIME IN THIS ACFT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BOTHERED HIM WAS GETTING USED TO FLYING FROM THE L SIDE INSTEAD OF THE R SIDE. HE STATED IT SLOWED HIM IN GETTING INTO REVERSE THRUST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 376828: CAPT ALLOWED OR CAUSED L WING TO DROP EXCESSIVELY FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND APPLIED EXCESSIVE R RUDDER. WIND CONDITION WAS 040 DEGS AT 4 KTS. THE RESULT WAS A TOUCHDOWN L OF CTR WITH THE L WING EXCESSIVELY DOWN. I APPLIED SLIGHT R AILERON TO PREVENT AN OUTBOARD POD/WINGTIP MAKING GND CONTACT. MAIN GEAR TOUCHDOWN WAS SMOOTH BUT THE NOSE WAS EXCESSIVELY YAWED TO THE R. THE CAPT BROUGHT THE NOSE GEAR DOWN ABRUPTLY TO THE RWY, STILL IN AN EXCESSIVE YAW R CONDITION. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE ONLY MINIMAL REVERSE THRUST HAD BEEN APPLIED. I REACHED UP AND ADDED ADDITIONAL REVERSE THRUST TO THE NEAR VERT POS. THE CAPT EXITED THE RWY AT TXWY M6, DECELERATING TOWARD 60 KTS, STILL IN REVERSE THRUST. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE FROM THE TWR TO REMAIN ON THE SAME FREQ AND TO CROSS TXWY M ON M6 TO TXWY D TO GATE XXX AT THE INTL TERMINAL. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CAPT INDICATED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THEM ALSO. I STARTED MY AFTER LNDG FLOWS WHILE STILL ON TXWY M6 HIGH SPD. AT TXWY M, THE CAPT INITIATED A R TURN ONTO TXWY M. THE SECOND BUNKIE YELLED 'WHERE THE HELL IS HE GOING?' AND THE CAPT ABRUPTLY JERKED THE NOSE GEAR AND BRAKES IN AN ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW TXWY M6 TO TXWY D. HOWEVER, IT WAS TOO LATE, AND A SUBSEQUENT TAXI E ON TXWY M TO TXWY M7, THEN TXWY D WAS COMPLETED IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE STATED TAXI CLRNC TO THE GATE. I CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM THAT WE MISSED TXWY M6 AND WERE GOING DOWN TXWY M TO RETURN TO TXWY D. I FOUND NOSE GEAR TIRE SCRUBBING INDICATIONS, BUT NO WINGTIP OR POD DAMAGE. THE CAPT DID NOT RETURN TO OPS WITH THE CREW. I WAS INFORMED BY A FLT ATTENDANT THAT SHE AND ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN HURT ON LNDG BECAUSE A CART BROKE LOOSE IN THE GALLEY CLOSE TO WHERE THEY WERE SITTING. IN ORDER TO PREVENT IT FROM GOING DOWN THE AISLE TOWARD PAX, THEY LEFT THEIR SEATS AND STOPPED IT, HURTING THEMSELVES IN THE PROCESS. SHE ALSO INDICATED THAT 3 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS HAD CHKED THE CARTS LATCHED/LOCKED IN PLACE PRIOR TO LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 376826: DURING THE FLT THE PF (CAPT) DID NOT DEMONSTRATE CONFIDENCE IN HIS KNOWLEDGE AND FLYING ABILITIES. BY THE TIME THE FLT REACHED THE LNDG PHASE THE 3 COPLTS (1 FLYING, 2 NON FLYING) WERE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT HIS ABILITIES. THE FLARE WAS ABRUPT, SLIGHTLY BALLOONING, AND A L ROLL OCCURRED TO THE POINT THAT THE COPLT HAD TO MAKE CORRECTIVE INPUT IN ORDER TO KEEP THE #1 POD FROM CONTACTING THE RWY. THE NOSEWHEEL THEN MADE AN ABRUPT CONTACT AT AN ANGLE CAUSING A FAIRLY SEVERE SHUDDER. ALTHOUGH I WOULDN'T CHARACTERIZE THE LNDG AS 'HARD' IT WAS NOT, IN MY ESTIMATION, UNDER CTL BY THE PF AND IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN EQUIP IN THE CABIN COMING LOOSE AND CAUSING DAMAGE/INJURY.

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.