Narrative:

We were sent out on a part 135 passenger charter. We departed mdsd santa domingo. We filed to st kitts. ZSU was OTS due to hurricane luis going through the caribbean islands in the previous days. We were informed that ZMA was controling us. We lost communications with ZMA, so we attempted, successfully, with setting up relays with ZMA involving other aircraft in the area. We soon got out of their range, so I called st croix's tower and got a relay through to ZMA over coy VOR in which they informed us that we were now VFR. We continued on and informed center that we were changing destination to tnec. We had a visual on the island about 20-30 mi out and continued our VFR descent. The island was without power (due to hurricane) but we talked to someone on a hand- held radio who told us that the lt governor had approved our landing. We crossed over the airport, which is situated between a volcano and a small mountain on this island, to check wind direction. It was blowing pretty much down the runway with possibly a slight left quartering headwind. We set up on a long final and had to hold a slight left crab to stay ctrlined. The strip was 4600 ft in length and we were in a LR25 so we intended on a normal short field landing. At about 30-40 ft in the air, in the approach to flare range, we encountered a severe windshear and downdraft which basically made us 'drop out of the sky.' we hit the runway extremely harder than normal, but even after landing it appeared normal. We stopped with ample runway available, taxied in, and shut down. After off-loading the passenger they commended us on a job well done. I then noticed that there was a crack in the left wing skin below and in front of the left engine. The gear strut had cracked at the trusseling and had driven the strut through the wing which split the skin. It was protruding only about 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the surface the wing. Mechanics were flown down the next day and a ferry permit was obtained once temporarily repaired, and was flown to fxe for several other 'hard landing inspections' that were required. I was the PNF but assisted with all checklists and callouts. The descent rate seemed normal up to the point when we dropped. Better runway condition reporting would have helped us in determining the possibility of windshear. In my opinion the captain did a commendable job, given the circumstances.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER ACFT HAS HARD LNDG DUE TO WINDSHEAR. NO ARPT INFO AVAILABLE.

Narrative: WE WERE SENT OUT ON A PART 135 PAX CHARTER. WE DEPARTED MDSD SANTA DOMINGO. WE FILED TO ST KITTS. ZSU WAS OTS DUE TO HURRICANE LUIS GOING THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS IN THE PREVIOUS DAYS. WE WERE INFORMED THAT ZMA WAS CTLING US. WE LOST COMS WITH ZMA, SO WE ATTEMPTED, SUCCESSFULLY, WITH SETTING UP RELAYS WITH ZMA INVOLVING OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. WE SOON GOT OUT OF THEIR RANGE, SO I CALLED ST CROIX'S TWR AND GOT A RELAY THROUGH TO ZMA OVER COY VOR IN WHICH THEY INFORMED US THAT WE WERE NOW VFR. WE CONTINUED ON AND INFORMED CTR THAT WE WERE CHANGING DEST TO TNEC. WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE ISLAND ABOUT 20-30 MI OUT AND CONTINUED OUR VFR DSCNT. THE ISLAND WAS WITHOUT PWR (DUE TO HURRICANE) BUT WE TALKED TO SOMEONE ON A HAND- HELD RADIO WHO TOLD US THAT THE LT GOVERNOR HAD APPROVED OUR LNDG. WE CROSSED OVER THE ARPT, WHICH IS SITUATED BTWN A VOLCANO AND A SMALL MOUNTAIN ON THIS ISLAND, TO CHK WIND DIRECTION. IT WAS BLOWING PRETTY MUCH DOWN THE RWY WITH POSSIBLY A SLIGHT L QUARTERING HEADWIND. WE SET UP ON A LONG FINAL AND HAD TO HOLD A SLIGHT L CRAB TO STAY CTRLINED. THE STRIP WAS 4600 FT IN LENGTH AND WE WERE IN A LR25 SO WE INTENDED ON A NORMAL SHORT FIELD LNDG. AT ABOUT 30-40 FT IN THE AIR, IN THE APCH TO FLARE RANGE, WE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE WINDSHEAR AND DOWNDRAFT WHICH BASICALLY MADE US 'DROP OUT OF THE SKY.' WE HIT THE RWY EXTREMELY HARDER THAN NORMAL, BUT EVEN AFTER LNDG IT APPEARED NORMAL. WE STOPPED WITH AMPLE RWY AVAILABLE, TAXIED IN, AND SHUT DOWN. AFTER OFF-LOADING THE PAX THEY COMMENDED US ON A JOB WELL DONE. I THEN NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE L WING SKIN BELOW AND IN FRONT OF THE L ENG. THE GEAR STRUT HAD CRACKED AT THE TRUSSELING AND HAD DRIVEN THE STRUT THROUGH THE WING WHICH SPLIT THE SKIN. IT WAS PROTRUDING ONLY ABOUT 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH ABOVE THE SURFACE THE WING. MECHS WERE FLOWN DOWN THE NEXT DAY AND A FERRY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED ONCE TEMPORARILY REPAIRED, AND WAS FLOWN TO FXE FOR SEVERAL OTHER 'HARD LNDG INSPECTIONS' THAT WERE REQUIRED. I WAS THE PNF BUT ASSISTED WITH ALL CHKLISTS AND CALLOUTS. THE DSCNT RATE SEEMED NORMAL UP TO THE POINT WHEN WE DROPPED. BETTER RWY CONDITION RPTING WOULD HAVE HELPED US IN DETERMINING THE POSSIBILITY OF WINDSHEAR. IN MY OPINION THE CAPT DID A COMMENDABLE JOB, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.