Narrative:

We departed mia en route to mroc, I was the first officer and PF. During our descent to san jose, ATC reported wind at san jose 140 degrees at 10 KTS gusting to 20 KTS. Inbound for runway 7 after executing the procedure turn on the ILS and descending through 1000 ft AGL on the localizer and GS we did not experience any abnormal airspeed or vertical speed fluctuations or anything else indicating the possibility of windshear. However our windshear alert system was inoperative and deferred. Moments after descending through 1000 ft AGL on the GS, ATC reported that 20 mins prior to us, a B707 reported windshear on final approach to runway 7. At that point in time the captain took over control of the aircraft, and he continued the approach. Descending through 500 ft AGL, ATC reported the wind as 140 degrees at 20 KTS gusting to 30 KTS. However, we still did not observe any unusual or abnormal indications, or anything that indicated windshear, but we did start to encounter light turbulence. In the landing flare I did note a 15-20 KT loss of airspeed. The main landing gear touched down on the runway normally and the spoilers and engine reversers also deployed normally. Then suddenly the nosewheel impacted the runway with extreme force. During the taxi into the gate, I noticed that the windsock was continually changing wind direction and speed. On the postflt inspection, the engineer noted that the nose gear was severely damaged. Repairs to fix the aircraft would require an entire new nose gear assembly. The reason for the hard landing and consequently contributing to the damage was probably due to a windshear shift from a quartering headwind, to a quartering tailwind on touchdown. However, I feel that the captain did a good job landing the aircraft even after we impacted the runway. However, being after the fact of course, perhaps a better avenue that we should have considered with more attention, was aborting the approach and landing at san jose, and going to our alternate airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8 LNDG AT SJO, FO, IMPACTS SO HARD IT SEVERELY DAMAGES THE NOSEWHEEL.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED MIA ENRTE TO MROC, I WAS THE FO AND PF. DURING OUR DSCNT TO SAN JOSE, ATC RPTED WIND AT SAN JOSE 140 DEGS AT 10 KTS GUSTING TO 20 KTS. INBOUND FOR RWY 7 AFTER EXECUTING THE PROC TURN ON THE ILS AND DSNDING THROUGH 1000 FT AGL ON THE LOC AND GS WE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY ABNORMAL AIRSPD OR VERT SPD FLUCTUATIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE INDICATING THE POSSIBILITY OF WINDSHEAR. HOWEVER OUR WINDSHEAR ALERT SYS WAS INOP AND DEFERRED. MOMENTS AFTER DSNDING THROUGH 1000 FT AGL ON THE GS, ATC RPTED THAT 20 MINS PRIOR TO US, A B707 RPTED WINDSHEAR ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 7. AT THAT POINT IN TIME THE CAPT TOOK OVER CTL OF THE ACFT, AND HE CONTINUED THE APCH. DSNDING THROUGH 500 FT AGL, ATC RPTED THE WIND AS 140 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 30 KTS. HOWEVER, WE STILL DID NOT OBSERVE ANY UNUSUAL OR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS, OR ANYTHING THAT INDICATED WINDSHEAR, BUT WE DID START TO ENCOUNTER LIGHT TURB. IN THE LNDG FLARE I DID NOTE A 15-20 KT LOSS OF AIRSPD. THE MAIN LNDG GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY NORMALLY AND THE SPOILERS AND ENG REVERSERS ALSO DEPLOYED NORMALLY. THEN SUDDENLY THE NOSEWHEEL IMPACTED THE RWY WITH EXTREME FORCE. DURING THE TAXI INTO THE GATE, I NOTICED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS CONTINUALLY CHANGING WIND DIRECTION AND SPD. ON THE POSTFLT INSPECTION, THE ENGINEER NOTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. REPAIRS TO FIX THE ACFT WOULD REQUIRE AN ENTIRE NEW NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY. THE REASON FOR THE HARD LNDG AND CONSEQUENTLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY DUE TO A WINDSHEAR SHIFT FROM A QUARTERING HEADWIND, TO A QUARTERING TAILWIND ON TOUCHDOWN. HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT THE CAPT DID A GOOD JOB LNDG THE ACFT EVEN AFTER WE IMPACTED THE RWY. HOWEVER, BEING AFTER THE FACT OF COURSE, PERHAPS A BETTER AVENUE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED WITH MORE ATTN, WAS ABORTING THE APCH AND LNDG AT SAN JOSE, AND GOING TO OUR ALTERNATE ARPT.

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.