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Flight crew of a B727-200 heard a loud thump during a night visual approach in rain showers when the aircraft suddenly sank due to suspected windshear. There were no approach lights, GS or VASI to help provide descent information to the captain who was flying the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 421436 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199811 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : blz |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 440 msl bound upper : 440 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 421436 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On approach at belize with scattered small thunderstorms. Had good visibility until rain started falling heavily. There was no moon, no approach light system, no VASI, no precision GS. No surrounding lights to provide better depth perception. Winds variable from calm to 100 degrees at 18 KTS gusting to 25 KTS to 010 degrees at same. At start of approach, winds were calm, then variable and at 7 mi inbound an area of rain became visible. Starting final descent inside 2 mi the aircraft suddenly began to settle. Initiated a go around and heard a loud thump. Aircraft had hit top of a tree.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B727-200 HEARD A LOUD THUMP DURING A NIGHT VISUAL APCH IN RAIN SHOWERS WHEN THE ACFT SUDDENLY SANK DUE TO SUSPECTED WINDSHEAR. THERE WERE NO APCH LIGHTS, GS OR VASI TO HELP PROVIDE DSCNT INFO TO THE CAPT WHO WAS FLYING THE ACFT.
Narrative: ON APCH AT BELIZE WITH SCATTERED SMALL TSTMS. HAD GOOD VISIBILITY UNTIL RAIN STARTED FALLING HEAVILY. THERE WAS NO MOON, NO APCH LIGHT SYS, NO VASI, NO PRECISION GS. NO SURROUNDING LIGHTS TO PROVIDE BETTER DEPTH PERCEPTION. WINDS VARIABLE FROM CALM TO 100 DEGS AT 18 KTS GUSTING TO 25 KTS TO 010 DEGS AT SAME. AT START OF APCH, WINDS WERE CALM, THEN VARIABLE AND AT 7 MI INBOUND AN AREA OF RAIN BECAME VISIBLE. STARTING FINAL DSCNT INSIDE 2 MI THE ACFT SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SETTLE. INITIATED A GAR AND HEARD A LOUD THUMP. ACFT HAD HIT TOP OF A TREE.
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.