Narrative:

Following a normal approach into guyaquil, equador (gye), a hard landing occurred upon touchdown on runway 21. I am a first officer on the DC8. Approach was normal, checklists and procedures were followed. The captain was flying the approach -- it was his leg (from miami, fl). Throughout the final approach, he was on airspeed, on the GS and localizer. There was no indication to me that this was going to be anything but a normal landing until, at most, the last 1-2 seconds before touchdown. The plane then hit the ground significantly harder than normal. The captain who was flying appeared as surprised as myself and the flight engineer about the landing. The captain then asked 'what happened?' and kept both hands on his yoke. I then reached up and put all 4 engines in reverse and began to apply the brakes around 80 KTS. We came to a near stop on the runway then proceeded to taxi to our usual parking spot. Upon postflt inspection, we discovered a slight deformation of the skin on the #3 engine pylon, as well as several nearby rivets popped out. At this time, I am unaware of the extent of the damage and whether or not it was caused by the aforementioned landing. The only cause I can think may have contributed to this landing would be windshear. The last 1/2 mi of this approach does come over a large river, then to dry land. There is no doppler radar at this airport nor at any other south or central american airport that I am aware of. Also, if there were reports of windshear, it is likely that the controllers would not have forwarded the information due to the very limited command of the english language.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8 FREIGHTER MAKES A HARD LNDG AT GYE, FO. FO SAYS NOTHING ABNORMAL EXCEPT THE LAST 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE TOUCHDOWN.

Narrative: FOLLOWING A NORMAL APCH INTO GUYAQUIL, EQUADOR (GYE), A HARD LNDG OCCURRED UPON TOUCHDOWN ON RWY 21. I AM A FO ON THE DC8. APCH WAS NORMAL, CHKLISTS AND PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE APCH -- IT WAS HIS LEG (FROM MIAMI, FL). THROUGHOUT THE FINAL APCH, HE WAS ON AIRSPD, ON THE GS AND LOC. THERE WAS NO INDICATION TO ME THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ANYTHING BUT A NORMAL LNDG UNTIL, AT MOST, THE LAST 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE PLANE THEN HIT THE GND SIGNIFICANTLY HARDER THAN NORMAL. THE CAPT WHO WAS FLYING APPEARED AS SURPRISED AS MYSELF AND THE FE ABOUT THE LNDG. THE CAPT THEN ASKED 'WHAT HAPPENED?' AND KEPT BOTH HANDS ON HIS YOKE. I THEN REACHED UP AND PUT ALL 4 ENGS IN REVERSE AND BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKES AROUND 80 KTS. WE CAME TO A NEAR STOP ON THE RWY THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO OUR USUAL PARKING SPOT. UPON POSTFLT INSPECTION, WE DISCOVERED A SLIGHT DEFORMATION OF THE SKIN ON THE #3 ENG PYLON, AS WELL AS SEVERAL NEARBY RIVETS POPPED OUT. AT THIS TIME, I AM UNAWARE OF THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED LNDG. THE ONLY CAUSE I CAN THINK MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS LNDG WOULD BE WINDSHEAR. THE LAST 1/2 MI OF THIS APCH DOES COME OVER A LARGE RIVER, THEN TO DRY LAND. THERE IS NO DOPPLER RADAR AT THIS ARPT NOR AT ANY OTHER SOUTH OR CENTRAL AMERICAN ARPT THAT I AM AWARE OF. ALSO, IF THERE WERE RPTS OF WINDSHEAR, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE CTLRS WOULD NOT HAVE FORWARDED THE INFO DUE TO THE VERY LIMITED COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

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.