Narrative:

I was the captain; PF; and had chosen to conduct an autoland to runway 36R in clt for currency purposes. The ILS runway 36R CAT III approach was briefed to include all the items on the back of the checklist; as well as NOTAMS. There was only 1 fdc NOTAM requiring DME or radar; and no green sheet restrs. As a note; runway 36L in clt has an approach plate procedural note about rollout control; but there is no such note on runway 36R; which was the runway on which we intended to land. The approach was normal until approaching touchdown. At approximately 50 ft; the airplane started to drift slightly left of centerline; ultimately touching down slightly left of centerline. Runway 36R is 150 ft wide; and the wind at touchdown was 010 degrees at 5 KTS. Immediately after touchdown; the aircraft began an immediate and aggressive left deviation towards the edge of the runway. The nose had not lowered at the time this started; nor had the spoilers or thrust reversers deployed. I disconnected the autoplt and regained positive control over the flight path by steering to the centerline. We did not leave the paved surface of the runway. The ILS critical area appeared to be clear. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. The aggressiveness; and abrupt nature of the autoland maneuver in this instance was very startling. The entire event took but a few seconds; but could have been disastrous. Both the first officer and I had never experienced anything like this before. After arrival at the gate I contacted maintenance and suggested the autoland be MEL'ed until it could be looked at. I do not know if there was an aircraft or a ground malfunction; but I thought it best to have the aircraft looked at to eliminate any possible aircraft issues. Maintenance agreed; and the autoland capability was placed on an MEL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNKNOWN ACR ACFT MAKING AUTOLAND APCH AND LNDG TURNS ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT AFTER LNDG. CONTROL IS REGAINED PRIOR TO EXITING RWY.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT; PF; AND HAD CHOSEN TO CONDUCT AN AUTOLAND TO RWY 36R IN CLT FOR CURRENCY PURPOSES. THE ILS RWY 36R CAT III APCH WAS BRIEFED TO INCLUDE ALL THE ITEMS ON THE BACK OF THE CHKLIST; AS WELL AS NOTAMS. THERE WAS ONLY 1 FDC NOTAM REQUIRING DME OR RADAR; AND NO GREEN SHEET RESTRS. AS A NOTE; RWY 36L IN CLT HAS AN APCH PLATE PROCEDURAL NOTE ABOUT ROLLOUT CTL; BUT THERE IS NO SUCH NOTE ON RWY 36R; WHICH WAS THE RWY ON WHICH WE INTENDED TO LAND. THE APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL APCHING TOUCHDOWN. AT APPROX 50 FT; THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO DRIFT SLIGHTLY L OF CTRLINE; ULTIMATELY TOUCHING DOWN SLIGHTLY L OF CTRLINE. RWY 36R IS 150 FT WIDE; AND THE WIND AT TOUCHDOWN WAS 010 DEGS AT 5 KTS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN; THE ACFT BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE AND AGGRESSIVE L DEV TOWARDS THE EDGE OF THE RWY. THE NOSE HAD NOT LOWERED AT THE TIME THIS STARTED; NOR HAD THE SPOILERS OR THRUST REVERSERS DEPLOYED. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND REGAINED POSITIVE CTL OVER THE FLT PATH BY STEERING TO THE CTRLINE. WE DID NOT LEAVE THE PAVED SURFACE OF THE RWY. THE ILS CRITICAL AREA APPEARED TO BE CLR. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE AGGRESSIVENESS; AND ABRUPT NATURE OF THE AUTOLAND MANEUVER IN THIS INSTANCE WAS VERY STARTLING. THE ENTIRE EVENT TOOK BUT A FEW SECONDS; BUT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. BOTH THE FO AND I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. AFTER ARR AT THE GATE I CONTACTED MAINT AND SUGGESTED THE AUTOLAND BE MEL'ED UNTIL IT COULD BE LOOKED AT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS AN ACFT OR A GND MALFUNCTION; BUT I THOUGHT IT BEST TO HAVE THE ACFT LOOKED AT TO ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBLE ACFT ISSUES. MAINT AGREED; AND THE AUTOLAND CAPABILITY WAS PLACED ON AN MEL.

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.