Medium large transport flight crew encounters a wall of rain and aircraft drift on touchdown for lan...

Attributes
ACN	335983
Time
Date	199605
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dal
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	335983
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Visual approach was flown to runway 31L dal with the ILS as a backup. There was thunderstorm activity to the north of the field noted on radar and visually. The visual was flown all the way down to the threshold at which time an unexpected wall of water was encountered approximately 50 ft above touchdown. After the 30 ft, 10 ft radar altitude callouts I sensed a drift to the left at which time I voiced this to the first officer (PF). He stated he was correcting. The left main touched down on the runway apron and left the runway and continued off the runway for approximately 800 ft. The aircraft was righted back onto the runway and slowed at which time I took complete control of the aircraft with 'I've got the aircraft.' at this time following the incident, we were still not certain we had in fact left the runway surface. Aircraft was at the gate within 1 min and 'parking through flight' checklist was completed at which time I left the cockpit to determine by inspection if the aircraft had departed the runway. This was verified by inspection of the left engine, main gear, wheel well. I returned to the jetway and notified maintenance and dispatch. Dispatch notified chief pilot on duty and FAA communication center.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC ENCOUNTERS A WALL OF RAIN AND ACFT DRIFT ON TOUCHDOWN FOR LNDG. L MAIN GEAR LEAVES THE RWY.

Narrative: VISUAL APCH WAS FLOWN TO RWY 31L DAL WITH THE ILS AS A BACKUP. THERE WAS TSTM ACTIVITY TO THE N OF THE FIELD NOTED ON RADAR AND VISUALLY. THE VISUAL WAS FLOWN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE THRESHOLD AT WHICH TIME AN UNEXPECTED WALL OF WATER WAS ENCOUNTERED APPROX 50 FT ABOVE TOUCHDOWN. AFTER THE 30 FT, 10 FT RADAR ALT CALLOUTS I SENSED A DRIFT TO THE L AT WHICH TIME I VOICED THIS TO THE FO (PF). HE STATED HE WAS CORRECTING. THE L MAIN TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY APRON AND LEFT THE RWY AND CONTINUED OFF THE RWY FOR APPROX 800 FT. THE ACFT WAS RIGHTED BACK ONTO THE RWY AND SLOWED AT WHICH TIME I TOOK COMPLETE CTL OF THE ACFT WITH 'I'VE GOT THE ACFT.' AT THIS TIME FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, WE WERE STILL NOT CERTAIN WE HAD IN FACT LEFT THE RWY SURFACE. ACFT WAS AT THE GATE WITHIN 1 MIN AND 'PARKING THROUGH FLT' CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AT WHICH TIME I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO DETERMINE BY INSPECTION IF THE ACFT HAD DEPARTED THE RWY. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY INSPECTION OF THE L ENG, MAIN GEAR, WHEEL WELL. I RETURNED TO THE JETWAY AND NOTIFIED MAINT AND DISPATCH. DISPATCH NOTIFIED CHIEF PLT ON DUTY AND FAA COM CTR.

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.

Medium large transport flight crew encounters a wall of rain and aircraft drift on touchdown for landing. Left main gear leaves the runway.