High sink rate from encounter with dust devil causes hard landing in an A-320.

Attributes
ACN	280089
Time
Date	199408
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 16169 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	280089
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	280659
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On landing and approach all normal until the last 50 ft then the aircraft had excessive sink rate -- landing was firm, but not hard. Everything appeared normal. After turning off the runway the tower reported dust devils near the touchdown zone of runway 26R. At the gate maintenance advised of a scrape on aft fuselage on bottom of aircraft 5 ft long. The jump seat rider advised later on that he saw a dust devil go across the approach end of the runway just prior to landing. As we turned off the runway all 3 of us in the cockpit did see the dust devil that the tower cautioned the landing aircraft behind us about. Maintenance found no structural damage to the aircraft and released it back to service. The company relieved the flight crew of line service and scheduled a simulator check prior to line flying again. Supplemental information from acn 280659: at approximately 50 ft captain flying the aircraft experienced a higher than normal sink rate. He applied more back pressure to arrest the sink.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HIGH SINK RATE FROM ENCOUNTER WITH DUST DEVIL CAUSES HARD LNDG IN AN A-320.

Narrative: ON LNDG AND APCH ALL NORMAL UNTIL THE LAST 50 FT THEN THE ACFT HAD EXCESSIVE SINK RATE -- LNDG WAS FIRM, BUT NOT HARD. EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. AFTER TURNING OFF THE RWY THE TWR RPTED DUST DEVILS NEAR THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE OF RWY 26R. AT THE GATE MAINT ADVISED OF A SCRAPE ON AFT FUSELAGE ON BOTTOM OF ACFT 5 FT LONG. THE JUMP SEAT RIDER ADVISED LATER ON THAT HE SAW A DUST DEVIL GO ACROSS THE APCH END OF THE RWY JUST PRIOR TO LNDG. AS WE TURNED OFF THE RWY ALL 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT DID SEE THE DUST DEVIL THAT THE TWR CAUTIONED THE LNDG ACFT BEHIND US ABOUT. MAINT FOUND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND RELEASED IT BACK TO SVC. THE COMPANY RELIEVED THE FLC OF LINE SVC AND SCHEDULED A SIMULATOR CHK PRIOR TO LINE FLYING AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 280659: AT APPROX 50 FT CAPT FLYING THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SINK RATE. HE APPLIED MORE BACK PRESSURE TO ARREST THE SINK.

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.