Narrative:

On approach into belize city, on a dark night, there is no approach path indicator at all. We were crabbed to the right of runway 7, but winds were reported 010 degrees at 18 KTS gusting to 25 KTS by tower. Thunderstorm in the area. We had the runway in sight. VOR on. We left the MDA of 440 ft at 1.5 DME and the heavy rain hit. We were at 350 ft, field still in sight. Very suddenly, we were at 240 ft. It wasn't a drop, more of riding a wave down. We saw that we were low and pushed go around thrust. We had been carrying 10 KTS extra with the bad WX. The airplane responded and we were climbing when we felt a strike. We hit a tree with a flap. We were able to climb out and divert to merida, mexico. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was the PF. They were cleared for a VOR approach to runway 7. As they were descending, he stated it felt like the bottom fell out. They suddenly lost altitude. Although the airport has PAPI, it was OTS. Reporter stated that the flight conditions were turbulent and gusty. They were at about 340 ft when they suffered a sudden loss of altitude. Both he and the captain pushed the power up to maximum. As the aircraft accelerated for a go around, they felt a light impact somewhere on the aircraft. Airport lighting was so poor they decided not to make another approach, so they diverted and went to merida, mexico. During postflt inspection at merida, they saw where #8 leading edge slat was dented from a tree strike. Also, there were some tree branches stuck in the landing gear. Flight crew underwent further training in company simulator flying several non precision approachs. The FAA is taking further action by asking the company to move the captain to first officer and the first officer to so for a period of 6 months.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 LNDG AT BELIZE ENCOUNTERS ROUGH AIR AND WINDSHEAR. ACFT DSNDS LOW ON APCH AND STRIKES A TREE, DAMAGING A LEADING EDGE SLAT.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO BELIZE CITY, ON A DARK NIGHT, THERE IS NO APCH PATH INDICATOR AT ALL. WE WERE CRABBED TO THE R OF RWY 7, BUT WINDS WERE RPTED 010 DEGS AT 18 KTS GUSTING TO 25 KTS BY TWR. TSTM IN THE AREA. WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. VOR ON. WE LEFT THE MDA OF 440 FT AT 1.5 DME AND THE HVY RAIN HIT. WE WERE AT 350 FT, FIELD STILL IN SIGHT. VERY SUDDENLY, WE WERE AT 240 FT. IT WASN'T A DROP, MORE OF RIDING A WAVE DOWN. WE SAW THAT WE WERE LOW AND PUSHED GAR THRUST. WE HAD BEEN CARRYING 10 KTS EXTRA WITH THE BAD WX. THE AIRPLANE RESPONDED AND WE WERE CLBING WHEN WE FELT A STRIKE. WE HIT A TREE WITH A FLAP. WE WERE ABLE TO CLB OUT AND DIVERT TO MERIDA, MEXICO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS THE PF. THEY WERE CLRED FOR A VOR APCH TO RWY 7. AS THEY WERE DSNDING, HE STATED IT FELT LIKE THE BOTTOM FELL OUT. THEY SUDDENLY LOST ALT. ALTHOUGH THE ARPT HAS PAPI, IT WAS OTS. RPTR STATED THAT THE FLT CONDITIONS WERE TURBULENT AND GUSTY. THEY WERE AT ABOUT 340 FT WHEN THEY SUFFERED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ALT. BOTH HE AND THE CAPT PUSHED THE PWR UP TO MAX. AS THE ACFT ACCELERATED FOR A GAR, THEY FELT A LIGHT IMPACT SOMEWHERE ON THE ACFT. ARPT LIGHTING WAS SO POOR THEY DECIDED NOT TO MAKE ANOTHER APCH, SO THEY DIVERTED AND WENT TO MERIDA, MEXICO. DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION AT MERIDA, THEY SAW WHERE #8 LEADING EDGE SLAT WAS DENTED FROM A TREE STRIKE. ALSO, THERE WERE SOME TREE BRANCHES STUCK IN THE LNDG GEAR. FLC UNDERWENT FURTHER TRAINING IN COMPANY SIMULATOR FLYING SEVERAL NON PRECISION APCHS. THE FAA IS TAKING FURTHER ACTION BY ASKING THE COMPANY TO MOVE THE CAPT TO FO AND THE FO TO SO FOR A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS.

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.