Narrative:

Flight was scheduled to depart sea-tac airport for tokyo with intervening stop in anc. Flight left sea at XA45 hours after a 17-hour delay. Crew was fatigued. Flight proceeded normally to vicinity of anc, but WX was below minimums. An approach was begun to elmendorf AFB and, prior to glide path intercept, the visibility at anc rose to 6000 ft RVR. Approach control gave us vectors to a left base for the anc ILS runway 6R approach. There was a fog bank over the approach end of the runway and the approach lights could be seen reflecting off the water underneath the shallow ceiling. I feel that this created a mindset in the crew that the approach would be relatively easy. The copilot elected to hand fly with the aid of the flight director. We saw the approach lights at 400 ft with the runway actually obscured in fog. I expected better visual references. The approach became unstable as the copilot began maneuvering with respect to visual references a little too early. We got about 1/2 DOT low on glide path and, in correcting our vertical position, got offset right of centerline. Touchdown occurred while still correcting left for the offset. The touchdown altitude was plus 1.5 degrees pitch and 11.0 degrees left bank. This caused the #1 engine (left outboard) to scrape the runway surface. Due to darkness and the nature of the damage, it was not discovered during preflight at anc. Flight proceeded normally to tokyo where the damage was discovered. Although engine operation was normal, the damage was sufficient to require an engine change. In retrospect we should have: 1) realized how difficult an approach into a local fog condition can be, and create a mindset to expect the worst at the final stages of the approach. 2) used a coupled approach at a minimum, and maybe autoland, to compensate for fatigue and any unexpected conditions after runway environment in sight. 3) gone around when the approach became unstable. Supplemental information from acn 287458: takeoff from sea was normal. Landing in anc was firm but not hard. Takeoff from anc normal. Landing in nrt normal. Takeoff taxiing wasn't done in any area that might have caused a pod strike. All we can figure is that so did not catch it on his preflight in sea. It was XA45 am and pouring rain. Supplemental information from acn 287600: originally scheduled to depart sea XF00L oct/xx/94. Creeping delay and departed XA45 am local oct/xy/94.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG POD SCRAPE, APPARENTLY ON LNDG.

Narrative: FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART SEA-TAC ARPT FOR TOKYO WITH INTERVENING STOP IN ANC. FLT LEFT SEA AT XA45 HRS AFTER A 17-HR DELAY. CREW WAS FATIGUED. FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO VICINITY OF ANC, BUT WX WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. AN APCH WAS BEGUN TO ELMENDORF AFB AND, PRIOR TO GLIDE PATH INTERCEPT, THE VISIBILITY AT ANC ROSE TO 6000 FT RVR. APCH CTL GAVE US VECTORS TO A L BASE FOR THE ANC ILS RWY 6R APCH. THERE WAS A FOG BANK OVER THE APCH END OF THE RWY AND THE APCH LIGHTS COULD BE SEEN REFLECTING OFF THE WATER UNDERNEATH THE SHALLOW CEILING. I FEEL THAT THIS CREATED A MINDSET IN THE CREW THAT THE APCH WOULD BE RELATIVELY EASY. THE COPLT ELECTED TO HAND FLY WITH THE AID OF THE FLT DIRECTOR. WE SAW THE APCH LIGHTS AT 400 FT WITH THE RWY ACTUALLY OBSCURED IN FOG. I EXPECTED BETTER VISUAL REFS. THE APCH BECAME UNSTABLE AS THE COPLT BEGAN MANEUVERING WITH RESPECT TO VISUAL REFS A LITTLE TOO EARLY. WE GOT ABOUT 1/2 DOT LOW ON GLIDE PATH AND, IN CORRECTING OUR VERT POS, GOT OFFSET R OF CTRLINE. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED WHILE STILL CORRECTING L FOR THE OFFSET. THE TOUCHDOWN ALT WAS PLUS 1.5 DEGS PITCH AND 11.0 DEGS L BANK. THIS CAUSED THE #1 ENG (L OUTBOARD) TO SCRAPE THE RWY SURFACE. DUE TO DARKNESS AND THE NATURE OF THE DAMAGE, IT WAS NOT DISCOVERED DURING PREFLT AT ANC. FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO TOKYO WHERE THE DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED. ALTHOUGH ENG OP WAS NORMAL, THE DAMAGE WAS SUFFICIENT TO REQUIRE AN ENG CHANGE. IN RETROSPECT WE SHOULD HAVE: 1) REALIZED HOW DIFFICULT AN APCH INTO A LCL FOG CONDITION CAN BE, AND CREATE A MINDSET TO EXPECT THE WORST AT THE FINAL STAGES OF THE APCH. 2) USED A COUPLED APCH AT A MINIMUM, AND MAYBE AUTOLAND, TO COMPENSATE FOR FATIGUE AND ANY UNEXPECTED CONDITIONS AFTER RWY ENVIRONMENT IN SIGHT. 3) GONE AROUND WHEN THE APCH BECAME UNSTABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 287458: TKOF FROM SEA WAS NORMAL. LNDG IN ANC WAS FIRM BUT NOT HARD. TKOF FROM ANC NORMAL. LNDG IN NRT NORMAL. TKOF TAXIING WASN'T DONE IN ANY AREA THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A POD STRIKE. ALL WE CAN FIGURE IS THAT SO DID NOT CATCH IT ON HIS PREFLT IN SEA. IT WAS XA45 AM AND POURING RAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 287600: ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO DEPART SEA XF00L OCT/XX/94. CREEPING DELAY AND DEPARTED XA45 AM LCL OCT/XY/94.

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.