Narrative:

After a normal approach to st thomas, at approximately 5-10 feet AGL, the right wing of the aircraft dropped. The captain recognized this and began a go around immediately. During the course of the go around, the left wing also dropped abruptly. During climb out, the tower advised us that the right wingtip, left wingtip, and possibly the left outboard flap had contacted the runway. After an assessment of the airframe, the captain elected to return to san juan where we executed a normal approach and landing. The wind at our arrival was reported at 090 degrees at 15 KTS. At st thomas: no aircraft preceded our arrival. After our arrival, aircraft were reporting turbulence on approach and landing. 8 mins after our go around, the tower reported winds at 050 degrees at 8 KTS. I have been in to stt numerous times. Wind shifts are common with northeast winds. A series of wind tetrahedrons located along the north side of the runway would possibly give pilots a better picture of the winds he will encounter close to the runway. Supplemental information from acn 197216: the first officer noted the wind sock showing a little more left crosswind than tower was calling. The captain's approach was normal all the way to the final landing flare. During the final landing phase, below 10 ft, a gust of wind caused the right wing to drop. The captain attempted to roll back level immediately. This was followed by the left wing dropping. At that point, a go around was initiated with the wheels never touching the runway. In my opinion this incident was unavoidable. There were no reports of wind shear or turbulence by any previous aircraft, but subsequent aircraft experienced the same type of gusty winds. If tower had a few more wind sensors around the airport, especially north of the runway, they might be able to provide pilots with a better warning of changing wind conditions. The captain's timely decision to go around saved a possible tragedy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ENCOUNTERS LOW LEVEL GUSTS AND SHEAR ON APCH. WINGTIP DAMAGE, FLAP DAMAGE.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL APCH TO ST THOMAS, AT APPROX 5-10 FEET AGL, THE R WING OF THE ACFT DROPPED. THE CAPT RECOGNIZED THIS AND BEGAN A GAR IMMEDIATELY. DURING THE COURSE OF THE GAR, THE L WING ALSO DROPPED ABRUPTLY. DURING CLBOUT, THE TWR ADVISED US THAT THE R WINGTIP, L WINGTIP, AND POSSIBLY THE L OUTBOARD FLAP HAD CONTACTED THE RWY. AFTER AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRFRAME, THE CAPT ELECTED TO RETURN TO SAN JUAN WHERE WE EXECUTED A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. THE WIND AT OUR ARR WAS RPTED AT 090 DEGS AT 15 KTS. AT ST THOMAS: NO ACFT PRECEDED OUR ARR. AFTER OUR ARR, ACFT WERE RPTING TURB ON APCH AND LNDG. 8 MINS AFTER OUR GAR, THE TWR RPTED WINDS AT 050 DEGS AT 8 KTS. I HAVE BEEN IN TO STT NUMEROUS TIMES. WIND SHIFTS ARE COMMON WITH NE WINDS. A SERIES OF WIND TETRAHEDRONS LOCATED ALONG THE N SIDE OF THE RWY WOULD POSSIBLY GIVE PLTS A BETTER PICTURE OF THE WINDS HE WILL ENCOUNTER CLOSE TO THE RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 197216: THE FO NOTED THE WIND SOCK SHOWING A LITTLE MORE L XWIND THAN TWR WAS CALLING. THE CAPT'S APCH WAS NORMAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL LNDG FLARE. DURING THE FINAL LNDG PHASE, BELOW 10 FT, A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE R WING TO DROP. THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO ROLL BACK LEVEL IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE L WING DROPPING. AT THAT POINT, A GAR WAS INITIATED WITH THE WHEELS NEVER TOUCHING THE RWY. IN MY OPINION THIS INCIDENT WAS UNAVOIDABLE. THERE WERE NO RPTS OF WIND SHEAR OR TURB BY ANY PREVIOUS ACFT, BUT SUBSEQUENT ACFT EXPERIENCED THE SAME TYPE OF GUSTY WINDS. IF TWR HAD A FEW MORE WIND SENSORS AROUND THE ARPT, ESPECIALLY N OF THE RWY, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PLTS WITH A BETTER WARNING OF CHANGING WIND CONDITIONS. THE CAPT'S TIMELY DECISION TO GAR SAVED A POSSIBLE TRAGEDY.

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.