Narrative:

Departure, takeoff, climb, cruise and descent phases of flight were normal. Near the iow VOR aircraft was cleared step-down to 3000 ft MSL to track inbound on the moline runway 9 localizer. The ILS runway 9 approach had been briefed. Aircraft radar indicated areas of WX to the northeast and south of the airport. At approximately 20 NM from the runway, a report was received that lights had gone out at the field and instructions were issued to turn right and enter holding on the localizer. While in the turn ATC advised that lights were again operational and gave instructions to continue right turn to commence the moline runway 9 ILS approach. Aircraft was at 3000 ft and approach was conducted VMC with ILS xchk. I visually acquired the runway at approximately 8-10 NM. During the approach, rain increased to moderate but visual contact with runway was maintained. Aircraft was landed on runway followed by extension of speed brakes and application of reverse thrust. During the flare and touchdown rain increased to heavy to the extent that wipers were ineffective and forward visibility was reduced to blurred images of white lights. I could not visually determine aircraft position during much of rollout and rollout felt rougher than usual at certain points. As aircraft decelerated and/or localized, rain had diminished to the point where it was again possible to determine the position of the aircraft, aircraft was on the runway headed in an easterly direction. Runway centerline was reestablished and the aircraft slowed to turn off speed. During taxi in, no abnormalities in aircraft handling or system were noted. Postflt examination revealed grass in wheel well and other areas, and the decision was made to have the aircraft inspected by maintenance before it could be flown again. In the delay after gate arrival for heavy rain, disembarkation, company notification, passenger and crew resolution, ATC notification was not attended to before airport police arrived to state that there had been a runway excursion. Supplemental information from acn 274586: thunderstorms in area north, south, and east of airport. A dash 8 on short final reported a 10 KT gain in airspeed. Queried tower on WX conditions at airport throughout the approach. Light rain, light northerly winds on short final. Crossed threshold, flared, and landed. Visibility was instantly reduced. Wipers were already on high. Reversers, speed brakes and flaps 25 were applied. Runway side lights appeared closer on right than left. Caused dispatch, felt that we possibly went off runway on landing due to foreign object damage on plane. Wrote up in logbook. Flight canceled. Supplemental information from acn 274988: winds were discussed. Vref speeds adjusted to plus 10 KTS. Light rain encountered on final but still VMC with wipers on. Flare and landing seemed normal. Torrential rain hit with no warning. Visibility became non existent except for diffused and distorted lights. This situation lasted for quite a while. Aircraft path was perceived as straight ahead. As deceleration continued, visibility improved very slowly. Mechanics were to be brought in from ord.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-727 EXPERIENCES RWY EXCURSION DURING LNDG PROC ROLLOUT IN HVY RAIN. TSTM ACTIVITY. LNDG PROC XWIND LNDG.

Narrative: DEP, TKOF, CLB, CRUISE AND DSCNT PHASES OF FLT WERE NORMAL. NEAR THE IOW VOR ACFT WAS CLRED STEP-DOWN TO 3000 FT MSL TO TRACK INBOUND ON THE MOLINE RWY 9 LOC. THE ILS RWY 9 APCH HAD BEEN BRIEFED. ACFT RADAR INDICATED AREAS OF WX TO THE NE AND S OF THE ARPT. AT APPROX 20 NM FROM THE RWY, A RPT WAS RECEIVED THAT LIGHTS HAD GONE OUT AT THE FIELD AND INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED TO TURN R AND ENTER HOLDING ON THE LOC. WHILE IN THE TURN ATC ADVISED THAT LIGHTS WERE AGAIN OPERATIONAL AND GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE R TURN TO COMMENCE THE MOLINE RWY 9 ILS APCH. ACFT WAS AT 3000 FT AND APCH WAS CONDUCTED VMC WITH ILS XCHK. I VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE RWY AT APPROX 8-10 NM. DURING THE APCH, RAIN INCREASED TO MODERATE BUT VISUAL CONTACT WITH RWY WAS MAINTAINED. ACFT WAS LANDED ON RWY FOLLOWED BY EXTENSION OF SPD BRAKES AND APPLICATION OF REVERSE THRUST. DURING THE FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN RAIN INCREASED TO HVY TO THE EXTENT THAT WIPERS WERE INEFFECTIVE AND FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED TO BLURRED IMAGES OF WHITE LIGHTS. I COULD NOT VISUALLY DETERMINE ACFT POS DURING MUCH OF ROLLOUT AND ROLLOUT FELT ROUGHER THAN USUAL AT CERTAIN POINTS. AS ACFT DECELERATED AND/OR LOCALIZED, RAIN HAD DIMINISHED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS AGAIN POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE POS OF THE ACFT, ACFT WAS ON THE RWY HEADED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. RWY CTRLINE WAS REESTABLISHED AND THE ACFT SLOWED TO TURN OFF SPD. DURING TAXI IN, NO ABNORMALITIES IN ACFT HANDLING OR SYS WERE NOTED. POSTFLT EXAMINATION REVEALED GRASS IN WHEEL WELL AND OTHER AREAS, AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO HAVE THE ACFT INSPECTED BY MAINT BEFORE IT COULD BE FLOWN AGAIN. IN THE DELAY AFTER GATE ARR FOR HVY RAIN, DISEMBARKATION, COMPANY NOTIFICATION, PAX AND CREW RESOLUTION, ATC NOTIFICATION WAS NOT ATTENDED TO BEFORE ARPT POLICE ARRIVED TO STATE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RWY EXCURSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 274586: TSTMS IN AREA N, S, AND E OF ARPT. A DASH 8 ON SHORT FINAL RPTED A 10 KT GAIN IN AIRSPD. QUERIED TWR ON WX CONDITIONS AT ARPT THROUGHOUT THE APCH. LIGHT RAIN, LIGHT NORTHERLY WINDS ON SHORT FINAL. CROSSED THRESHOLD, FLARED, AND LANDED. VISIBILITY WAS INSTANTLY REDUCED. WIPERS WERE ALREADY ON HIGH. REVERSERS, SPD BRAKES AND FLAPS 25 WERE APPLIED. RWY SIDE LIGHTS APPEARED CLOSER ON R THAN L. CAUSED DISPATCH, FELT THAT WE POSSIBLY WENT OFF RWY ON LNDG DUE TO FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE ON PLANE. WROTE UP IN LOGBOOK. FLT CANCELED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 274988: WINDS WERE DISCUSSED. VREF SPDS ADJUSTED TO PLUS 10 KTS. LIGHT RAIN ENCOUNTERED ON FINAL BUT STILL VMC WITH WIPERS ON. FLARE AND LNDG SEEMED NORMAL. TORRENTIAL RAIN HIT WITH NO WARNING. VISIBILITY BECAME NON EXISTENT EXCEPT FOR DIFFUSED AND DISTORTED LIGHTS. THIS SIT LASTED FOR QUITE A WHILE. ACFT PATH WAS PERCEIVED AS STRAIGHT AHEAD. AS DECELERATION CONTINUED, VISIBILITY IMPROVED VERY SLOWLY. MECHS WERE TO BE BROUGHT IN FROM ORD.

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.