Narrative:

Flying into el paso in an medium large transport, WX is reported as w3x2s-F 36/34 3505 020-flying ILS runway 22. Braking action had been reported as fair to poor by an medium large transport B 30 mins prior. The first officer was flying the approach and landing. He landed a little long, touched down smoothly and eased in the reverse. Upon application of reverse thrust, the aircraft weathervaned into the wind and started drifting toward the left edge of the runway. I assumed control of the aircraft, brought it out of reverse thrust, and corrected back toward centerline. I must have overctled, because next thing I became aware of was the rear of the airplane sliding toward the right runway edge lights. About then I realized my left hand was on the nosewheel steering wheel. I turned the wheel to the right, the same technique used to recover from a skid in a car. That brought the aircraft back under control. A post-flight inspection found cuts in both left main gear tires. I called el paso tower and requested a runway edge light inspection which revealed one damaged edge light on the left side of the runway. As captain, I didn't consider 5 KTS of quartering tailwind much of a ctlability threat. However, when combined with loss of rudder effectiveness during reverse thrust and the inability of the tires to grip the runway because of hydroplaning, I was caught off guard. Apparently this rudder blanking effect of reverse thrust is a characteristic the medium large transport shares with other aircraft types which have tail mounted engines. This experience will help me anticipate ctlability reduction when landing on a slick runway with even a light crosswind.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC LNDG IN QUARTERING TAIL XWIND HAD POOR BRAKING, LOSS OF CTL WHEN APPLYING REVERSE THRUST. TAXI LIGHTS AND TIRES DAMAGED.

Narrative: FLYING INTO EL PASO IN AN MLG, WX IS RPTED AS W3X2S-F 36/34 3505 020-FLYING ILS RWY 22. BRAKING ACTION HAD BEEN RPTED AS FAIR TO POOR BY AN MLG B 30 MINS PRIOR. THE FO WAS FLYING THE APCH AND LNDG. HE LANDED A LITTLE LONG, TOUCHED DOWN SMOOTHLY AND EASED IN THE REVERSE. UPON APPLICATION OF REVERSE THRUST, THE ACFT WEATHERVANED INTO THE WIND AND STARTED DRIFTING TOWARD THE L EDGE OF THE RWY. I ASSUMED CTL OF THE ACFT, BROUGHT IT OUT OF REVERSE THRUST, AND CORRECTED BACK TOWARD CENTERLINE. I MUST HAVE OVERCTLED, BECAUSE NEXT THING I BECAME AWARE OF WAS THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE SLIDING TOWARD THE R RWY EDGE LIGHTS. ABOUT THEN I REALIZED MY L HAND WAS ON THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING WHEEL. I TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE R, THE SAME TECHNIQUE USED TO RECOVER FROM A SKID IN A CAR. THAT BROUGHT THE ACFT BACK UNDER CTL. A POST-FLT INSPECTION FOUND CUTS IN BOTH L MAIN GEAR TIRES. I CALLED EL PASO TWR AND REQUESTED A RWY EDGE LIGHT INSPECTION WHICH REVEALED ONE DAMAGED EDGE LIGHT ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. AS CAPT, I DIDN'T CONSIDER 5 KTS OF QUARTERING TAILWIND MUCH OF A CTLABILITY THREAT. HOWEVER, WHEN COMBINED WITH LOSS OF RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS DURING REVERSE THRUST AND THE INABILITY OF THE TIRES TO GRIP THE RWY BECAUSE OF HYDROPLANING, I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD. APPARENTLY THIS RUDDER BLANKING EFFECT OF REVERSE THRUST IS A CHARACTERISTIC THE MLG SHARES WITH OTHER ACFT TYPES WHICH HAVE TAIL MOUNTED ENGS. THIS EXPERIENCE WILL HELP ME ANTICIPATE CTLABILITY REDUCTION WHEN LNDG ON A SLICK RWY WITH EVEN A LIGHT XWIND.

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.