B-757 suffers a rapid nosewheel drop on landing, minor aircraft damage and possible passenger injury...

Attributes
ACN	307400
Time
Date	199506
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bqn
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	307400
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I shot VOR approach to runway 8 bqn, night. I was kept high, 6000 ft had to use gear and full flaps to cross final approach fix at proper altitude. Just prior to final approach fix there was some WX I flew through. Landing on main gear was very good, then nose lowered very quickly. Rollout normal. Flight attendant reported 2 ceiling panels fell. Maintenance was called out. He and first officer felt that the main gear brakes may have collected moisture and froze up, thereby causing nose to lower quick. I informed maintenance to inspect nose gear area. He did and stated he performed a good walk around, only faults found, left nose tire worn, also #3 front main. He did a bit check of anti-skid and automatic- brakes, they checked ok. He noted that aircraft had previous writeup of nose heavy, number xx, june. I did not use automatic brakes. Neither I nor first officer felt a hard landing had taken place. Upon returning to mia on next day I rewrote bqn maintenance letter concerning his walk-around in E-6, and went over situation with mia maintenance. Getting into limo, bqn flight attendant mentioned 1 first class passenger mentioned something about his neck, although 2 of our representatives in first class felt there was nothing wrong with that passenger. First officer experienced normal landing on next day same aircraft mia, although he used an extra degree or two of nose up trim.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-757 SUFFERS A RAPID NOSEWHEEL DROP ON LNDG, MINOR ACFT DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE PAX INJURY.

Narrative: I SHOT VOR APCH TO RWY 8 BQN, NIGHT. I WAS KEPT HIGH, 6000 FT HAD TO USE GEAR AND FULL FLAPS TO CROSS FINAL APCH FIX AT PROPER ALT. JUST PRIOR TO FINAL APCH FIX THERE WAS SOME WX I FLEW THROUGH. LNDG ON MAIN GEAR WAS VERY GOOD, THEN NOSE LOWERED VERY QUICKLY. ROLLOUT NORMAL. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED 2 CEILING PANELS FELL. MAINT WAS CALLED OUT. HE AND FO FELT THAT THE MAIN GEAR BRAKES MAY HAVE COLLECTED MOISTURE AND FROZE UP, THEREBY CAUSING NOSE TO LOWER QUICK. I INFORMED MAINT TO INSPECT NOSE GEAR AREA. HE DID AND STATED HE PERFORMED A GOOD WALK AROUND, ONLY FAULTS FOUND, L NOSE TIRE WORN, ALSO #3 FRONT MAIN. HE DID A BIT CHK OF ANTI-SKID AND AUTO- BRAKES, THEY CHKED OK. HE NOTED THAT ACFT HAD PREVIOUS WRITEUP OF NOSE HVY, NUMBER XX, JUNE. I DID NOT USE AUTO BRAKES. NEITHER I NOR FO FELT A HARD LNDG HAD TAKEN PLACE. UPON RETURNING TO MIA ON NEXT DAY I REWROTE BQN MAINT LETTER CONCERNING HIS WALK-AROUND IN E-6, AND WENT OVER SIT WITH MIA MAINT. GETTING INTO LIMO, BQN FLT ATTENDANT MENTIONED 1 FIRST CLASS PAX MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT HIS NECK, ALTHOUGH 2 OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN FIRST CLASS FELT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT PAX. FO EXPERIENCED NORMAL LNDG ON NEXT DAY SAME ACFT MIA, ALTHOUGH HE USED AN EXTRA DEG OR TWO OF NOSE UP TRIM.

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.