Narrative:

I am an large transport captain with over 12 yrs of experience in the aircraft and over 20 yrs of experience in the mlt. I have flown and instructed in big airplanes all of my professional flying career and I pride myself on being able to put the aircraft on the thousand ft mark softly. As a matter of fact, I have gotten cocky about it lately and the following incident is the result of too much cockiness, complacency and over-confidence. We were cleared for an approach at ord on 22R to hold short of 27, 6000' available. Traffic was initially 4 mi ahead of us on the approach but we gained on it until we were 2 1/2 mi from it. I did not recognize this closure rate, but the tower did and asked me to slow to minimum approach speed and to do an s-turn to the right. I agreed and proceeded with the s-turn at about 1000'. Then I aggravated it by purposely going through the localizer and doing an s-turn to the left while continuing my descent towards the runway. 'H' 'south.' I can handle anything in the large transport, I completed that turn, reintercepted the localizer and stabilized on the G/south at 400' AGL. I was back in the slot completely at 300' and vref plus 12. The wind was 30 degrees off the runway heading at 20 KTS and I thought everything was fine. I had told the crew at the beginning of the approach that I would be a DOT low on the G/south because I consider at 6000' runway one that you should T/D at the 1000' mark (not necessarily softly) and get it stopped. Well, we came over the fence in perfect shape in my humble opinion and the bottom fell out. We hit like a ton of bricks before I could recover and we hit with a 'kaboom'!! I got it stopped and felt terrible because the passenger deserved better than that from me. What happened? I should never have accepted the s-turns below 1000'. There is good reasoning for being in the slot at 1000'. You are then able to recognize shears, trends toward increasing and decreasing airspds, etc. If I had been in the slot at 1000', I think I would have recognized the abrupt increase in descent rate and I would have corrected it or performed a missed. I felt even worse when I found out that I had dropped 2 rows of masks as well as an overhead panel. I stood at the door when the passenger deplaned and then I felt horrible because there was no joking about the landing. I had scared some of these people with the s-turns and with the landing and I had no excuse. It won't happen again to this humbled aviator.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER ACFT MADE A VERY HARD LNDG.

Narrative: I AM AN LGT CAPT WITH OVER 12 YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT AND OVER 20 YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MLT. I HAVE FLOWN AND INSTRUCTED IN BIG AIRPLANES ALL OF MY PROFESSIONAL FLYING CAREER AND I PRIDE MYSELF ON BEING ABLE TO PUT THE ACFT ON THE THOUSAND FT MARK SOFTLY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE GOTTEN COCKY ABOUT IT LATELY AND THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT IS THE RESULT OF TOO MUCH COCKINESS, COMPLACENCY AND OVER-CONFIDENCE. WE WERE CLRED FOR AN APCH AT ORD ON 22R TO HOLD SHORT OF 27, 6000' AVAILABLE. TFC WAS INITIALLY 4 MI AHEAD OF US ON THE APCH BUT WE GAINED ON IT UNTIL WE WERE 2 1/2 MI FROM IT. I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THIS CLOSURE RATE, BUT THE TWR DID AND ASKED ME TO SLOW TO MINIMUM APCH SPD AND TO DO AN S-TURN TO THE RIGHT. I AGREED AND PROCEEDED WITH THE S-TURN AT ABOUT 1000'. THEN I AGGRAVATED IT BY PURPOSELY GOING THROUGH THE LOC AND DOING AN S-TURN TO THE LEFT WHILE CONTINUING MY DSCNT TOWARDS THE RWY. 'H' 'S.' I CAN HANDLE ANYTHING IN THE LGT, I COMPLETED THAT TURN, REINTERCEPTED THE LOC AND STABILIZED ON THE G/S AT 400' AGL. I WAS BACK IN THE SLOT COMPLETELY AT 300' AND VREF PLUS 12. THE WIND WAS 30 DEGS OFF THE RWY HDG AT 20 KTS AND I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I HAD TOLD THE CREW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE APCH THAT I WOULD BE A DOT LOW ON THE G/S BECAUSE I CONSIDER AT 6000' RWY ONE THAT YOU SHOULD T/D AT THE 1000' MARK (NOT NECESSARILY SOFTLY) AND GET IT STOPPED. WELL, WE CAME OVER THE FENCE IN PERFECT SHAPE IN MY HUMBLE OPINION AND THE BOTTOM FELL OUT. WE HIT LIKE A TON OF BRICKS BEFORE I COULD RECOVER AND WE HIT WITH A 'KABOOM'!! I GOT IT STOPPED AND FELT TERRIBLE BECAUSE THE PAX DESERVED BETTER THAN THAT FROM ME. WHAT HAPPENED? I SHOULD NEVER HAVE ACCEPTED THE S-TURNS BELOW 1000'. THERE IS GOOD REASONING FOR BEING IN THE SLOT AT 1000'. YOU ARE THEN ABLE TO RECOGNIZE SHEARS, TRENDS TOWARD INCREASING AND DECREASING AIRSPDS, ETC. IF I HAD BEEN IN THE SLOT AT 1000', I THINK I WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE ABRUPT INCREASE IN DSCNT RATE AND I WOULD HAVE CORRECTED IT OR PERFORMED A MISSED. I FELT EVEN WORSE WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD DROPPED 2 ROWS OF MASKS AS WELL AS AN OVERHEAD PANEL. I STOOD AT THE DOOR WHEN THE PAX DEPLANED AND THEN I FELT HORRIBLE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO JOKING ABOUT THE LNDG. I HAD SCARED SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WITH THE S-TURNS AND WITH THE LNDG AND I HAD NO EXCUSE. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN TO THIS HUMBLED AVIATOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.