Narrative:

I was a new captain, 27 1/2 hours on the large transport, and had completed my initial operation experience a little over 3 weeks previously. Due to illness and other training with my company (not flight training, per southeast), I had not flown since the completion of my I.O.east. Training. I was notified by flight standards the day prior to resuming my availability on reserve that I was instead being scheduled for a special line check the following day. This was to consist of a 2 leg trip from ord to yyz and back. When the check airman and I pulled the paperwork, we found that yyz WX was reported to be CAT ii. The trip to yyz was normal in all respects until the F/east got the ATIS. Reported WX was partially obscured, 100 overcast, 1/8 F with a wind of 4 KTS. As a restr captain my minimums are 300 and 1. When I mentioned this to the check airman he acknowledged the fact and, since I had signed the release, contacted company dispatch and had 'operating exception' added to the flight plan release. This, of course, kept him busy and out of the loop while I flew the descent and the initial part of the approach. Approach control requested us to maintain 180 KIAS until we were well into our approach. By this time the check airman had finished his conservation with dispatch and had taken control of the aircraft. He then informed me that we could now use his minimums and fly a CAT ii approach (WX had improved slightly and CAT ii approachs were in progress). Since my minimums were 300/1, I asked him who would perform what duties. He replied that he would fly the approach and I would land. I began to see the glow of the lead-in lights below 200' and had had sufficient visibility acquisition so that I took control of the aircraft approximately 125-150' AGL. The landing was on centerline, but very firm. The tailskid contacted the runway with resultant damage to it and the tailskid cartridge. No other aft damage was found. 1 passenger reported soreness in her back from the landing (she previously had a ruptured disk). As is always the case, this occurrence was the result of not one but many contributing factors: low time on the aircraft, time off when inexperienced on the equipment, extremely adverse WX conditions at night, a rushed approach with 1 crew member out of the loop, and the remarkable occasion of having someone on board (check airman) that caused me to perform duties that I would not have been able (legal) to perform until I was more experienced on the aircraft. (Indeed, I would not have even been on the trip had I not been scheduled for extra line check which was not legally required.) all these combined to create a situation that could have had even worse results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW CAPT ON CHECK RIDE HAS HARD LNDG RESULTING IN MINOR INJURY FOR PASSENGER AND SLIGHT ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS A NEW CAPT, 27 1/2 HRS ON THE LGT, AND HAD COMPLETED MY INITIAL OPERATION EXPERIENCE A LITTLE OVER 3 WKS PREVIOUSLY. DUE TO ILLNESS AND OTHER TRNING WITH MY COMPANY (NOT FLT TRNING, PER SE), I HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE THE COMPLETION OF MY I.O.E. TRNING. I WAS NOTIFIED BY FLT STANDARDS THE DAY PRIOR TO RESUMING MY AVAILABILITY ON RESERVE THAT I WAS INSTEAD BEING SCHEDULED FOR A SPECIAL LINE CHK THE FOLLOWING DAY. THIS WAS TO CONSIST OF A 2 LEG TRIP FROM ORD TO YYZ AND BACK. WHEN THE CHK AIRMAN AND I PULLED THE PAPERWORK, WE FOUND THAT YYZ WX WAS RPTED TO BE CAT II. THE TRIP TO YYZ WAS NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS UNTIL THE F/E GOT THE ATIS. RPTED WX WAS PARTIALLY OBSCURED, 100 OVCST, 1/8 F WITH A WIND OF 4 KTS. AS A RESTR CAPT MY MINIMUMS ARE 300 AND 1. WHEN I MENTIONED THIS TO THE CHK AIRMAN HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT AND, SINCE I HAD SIGNED THE RELEASE, CONTACTED COMPANY DISPATCH AND HAD 'OPERATING EXCEPTION' ADDED TO THE FLT PLAN RELEASE. THIS, OF COURSE, KEPT HIM BUSY AND OUT OF THE LOOP WHILE I FLEW THE DSCNT AND THE INITIAL PART OF THE APCH. APCH CTL REQUESTED US TO MAINTAIN 180 KIAS UNTIL WE WERE WELL INTO OUR APCH. BY THIS TIME THE CHK AIRMAN HAD FINISHED HIS CONSERVATION WITH DISPATCH AND HAD TAKEN CTL OF THE ACFT. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT WE COULD NOW USE HIS MINIMUMS AND FLY A CAT II APCH (WX HAD IMPROVED SLIGHTLY AND CAT II APCHS WERE IN PROGRESS). SINCE MY MINIMUMS WERE 300/1, I ASKED HIM WHO WOULD PERFORM WHAT DUTIES. HE REPLIED THAT HE WOULD FLY THE APCH AND I WOULD LAND. I BEGAN TO SEE THE GLOW OF THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS BELOW 200' AND HAD HAD SUFFICIENT VIS ACQUISITION SO THAT I TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT APPROX 125-150' AGL. THE LNDG WAS ON CENTERLINE, BUT VERY FIRM. THE TAILSKID CONTACTED THE RWY WITH RESULTANT DAMAGE TO IT AND THE TAILSKID CARTRIDGE. NO OTHER AFT DAMAGE WAS FOUND. 1 PAX REPORTED SORENESS IN HER BACK FROM THE LNDG (SHE PREVIOUSLY HAD A RUPTURED DISK). AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE, THIS OCCURRENCE WAS THE RESULT OF NOT ONE BUT MANY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LOW TIME ON THE ACFT, TIME OFF WHEN INEXPERIENCED ON THE EQUIP, EXTREMELY ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS AT NIGHT, A RUSHED APCH WITH 1 CREW MEMBER OUT OF THE LOOP, AND THE REMARKABLE OCCASION OF HAVING SOMEONE ON BOARD (CHK AIRMAN) THAT CAUSED ME TO PERFORM DUTIES THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE (LEGAL) TO PERFORM UNTIL I WAS MORE EXPERIENCED ON THE ACFT. (INDEED, I WOULD NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN ON THE TRIP HAD I NOT BEEN SCHEDULED FOR EXTRA LINE CHK WHICH WAS NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED.) ALL THESE COMBINED TO CREATE A SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE HAD EVEN WORSE RESULTS.

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.