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A320 flight crew encounters wake turbulence during the flare; aircraft has a hard landing; go around is executed and aircraft returns for landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 726530 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200701 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las.airport |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl single value : 10 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : las.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 726530 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : wake turbulence other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
Complying with company recommendation of using flaps 3 degrees as the final setting. The first officer was flying and we were doing a flap 3 degree landing in las on runway 25L. The wind was 060 degrees/06 KTS and we were landing right behind a B737. On very short final the left wing dropped and the first officer quickly recovered. We were then just a few feet above the ground in the flare when the aircraft hit the ground very hard and bounced back into the air. He immediately selected toga and we went around and landed on runway 19L. My first officer later told me that he ran out of elevator. I have had this happen as well with a flap 3 degree landing. There is not much elevator to play with when using this flap setting. I have never had it happen with a flap full landing. This was the hardest landing I have ever encountered in any aircraft. I wrote the aircraft up and maintenance removed it for inspection. I apologized to the passenger and they were all fine when they left the aircraft. The mcdu showed that we hit with a 2.54G force. The aircraft was returned to service.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB DURING THE FLARE; ACFT HAS A HARD LNDG; GAR IS EXECUTED AND ACFT RETURNS FOR LNDG.
Narrative: COMPLYING WITH COMPANY RECOMMENDATION OF USING FLAPS 3 DEGS AS THE FINAL SETTING. THE FO WAS FLYING AND WE WERE DOING A FLAP 3 DEG LNDG IN LAS ON RWY 25L. THE WIND WAS 060 DEGS/06 KTS AND WE WERE LNDG RIGHT BEHIND A B737. ON VERY SHORT FINAL THE L WING DROPPED AND THE FO QUICKLY RECOVERED. WE WERE THEN JUST A FEW FEET ABOVE THE GND IN THE FLARE WHEN THE ACFT HIT THE GND VERY HARD AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. HE IMMEDIATELY SELECTED TOGA AND WE WENT AROUND AND LANDED ON RWY 19L. MY FO LATER TOLD ME THAT HE RAN OUT OF ELEVATOR. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AS WELL WITH A FLAP 3 DEG LNDG. THERE IS NOT MUCH ELEVATOR TO PLAY WITH WHEN USING THIS FLAP SETTING. I HAVE NEVER HAD IT HAPPEN WITH A FLAP FULL LNDG. THIS WAS THE HARDEST LNDG I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED IN ANY ACFT. I WROTE THE ACFT UP AND MAINT REMOVED IT FOR INSPECTION. I APOLOGIZED TO THE PAX AND THEY WERE ALL FINE WHEN THEY LEFT THE ACFT. THE MCDU SHOWED THAT WE HIT WITH A 2.54G FORCE. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.