Narrative:

While being vectored to srq, we broke out under an overcast at 1600'. We reported the airport in sight and was granted a visual approach to runway 14. The first officer was manually flying the aircraft. Because of the short length of the runway (7003'), the first officer asked for permission to use 40 degree landing flaps vs the normal company policy of 28 degrees. I replied that if the winds continued to blow as last reported on the ATIS that I would have a problem allowing him to land the aircraft. Our company rules do not allow first officer's to land when xwinds exceed 15 KTS. But, for the present time (until a new wind report is received), it would be ok for him to use 40 degrees of flaps for landing. I also reminded the first officer of the aircraft's characteristics of virtually falling out from under you when power is reduced to idle, during flare, using 40 degrees of flaps in a crosswind. We aligned with runway 14 approximately 3 mi out on final approach. At 900' I asked for a wind report. Srq tower responded with 090 at 16 KTS (well within our company policy to allow a first officer to land). At 500' our speed was 130 KTS/sink 700'. Our vref was 118 KTS. At approximately 300' I reminded the first officer, 'remember, left crosswind, left aileron, right rudder.' I made the remark due to past observations of company first officer's who were taught to use rudder only in removing crab prior to T/D. Because some unstable air existed, we crossed the threshold at 125 KTS or vref plus 7 KTS. The approach was good down to our flare. During the flare, the first officer removed all the aileron and rudder inputs previously added for the crosswind. The aircraft started to drift to the right. The first officer abruptly added left aileron but the left wheel did not touch. He then simultaneously lowered the nose resulting in T/D of both the left and nose wheels. This automatically deployed the spoilers causing the right wheel to drop. While the T/D was not hard, the rocking motion which developed was alarming. To an observer, the maneuver would appear careless and reckless. To the first officer it was a learning experience he will never forget. To me, the captain, it illustrated the need for more training in crosswind technique for the first officer's. Our company trains only to proficiency, not comfortability. New first officer's receive no actual aircraft training in some models of our medium large transport including the xx which have no high lift devices with totally different landing characteristics. Training needs to be accomplished by training pilots and not line pilots with passenger on board the aircraft. Internal suggestions will result in trying to find fault with the PIC vs looking for the source of the problem and correcting the deficiencies before a larger problem exists. I therefore, respectfully submit this report. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter feels merger is part of problem. Reporter has spoken with person in charge of training to try for some upgrading. Major company feels training is adequate for first officer's, but on line it appears not to be.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX ENCOUNTER, CROSSWIND LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED TO SRQ, WE BROKE OUT UNDER AN OVCST AT 1600'. WE RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS GRANTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 14. THE F/O WAS MANUALLY FLYING THE ACFT. BECAUSE OF THE SHORT LENGTH OF THE RWY (7003'), THE F/O ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO USE 40 DEG LNDG FLAPS VS THE NORMAL COMPANY POLICY OF 28 DEGS. I REPLIED THAT IF THE WINDS CONTINUED TO BLOW AS LAST RPTED ON THE ATIS THAT I WOULD HAVE A PROB ALLOWING HIM TO LAND THE ACFT. OUR COMPANY RULES DO NOT ALLOW F/O'S TO LAND WHEN XWINDS EXCEED 15 KTS. BUT, FOR THE PRESENT TIME (UNTIL A NEW WIND RPT IS RECEIVED), IT WOULD BE OK FOR HIM TO USE 40 DEGS OF FLAPS FOR LNDG. I ALSO REMINDED THE F/O OF THE ACFT'S CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRTUALLY FALLING OUT FROM UNDER YOU WHEN PWR IS REDUCED TO IDLE, DURING FLARE, USING 40 DEGS OF FLAPS IN A XWIND. WE ALIGNED WITH RWY 14 APPROX 3 MI OUT ON FINAL APCH. AT 900' I ASKED FOR A WIND RPT. SRQ TWR RESPONDED WITH 090 AT 16 KTS (WELL WITHIN OUR COMPANY POLICY TO ALLOW A F/O TO LAND). AT 500' OUR SPEED WAS 130 KTS/SINK 700'. OUR VREF WAS 118 KTS. AT APPROX 300' I REMINDED THE F/O, 'REMEMBER, LEFT XWIND, LEFT AILERON, RIGHT RUDDER.' I MADE THE REMARK DUE TO PAST OBSERVATIONS OF COMPANY F/O'S WHO WERE TAUGHT TO USE RUDDER ONLY IN REMOVING CRAB PRIOR TO T/D. BECAUSE SOME UNSTABLE AIR EXISTED, WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AT 125 KTS OR VREF PLUS 7 KTS. THE APCH WAS GOOD DOWN TO OUR FLARE. DURING THE FLARE, THE F/O REMOVED ALL THE AILERON AND RUDDER INPUTS PREVIOUSLY ADDED FOR THE XWIND. THE ACFT STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. THE F/O ABRUPTLY ADDED LEFT AILERON BUT THE LEFT WHEEL DID NOT TOUCH. HE THEN SIMULTANEOUSLY LOWERED THE NOSE RESULTING IN T/D OF BOTH THE LEFT AND NOSE WHEELS. THIS AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOYED THE SPOILERS CAUSING THE RIGHT WHEEL TO DROP. WHILE THE T/D WAS NOT HARD, THE ROCKING MOTION WHICH DEVELOPED WAS ALARMING. TO AN OBSERVER, THE MANEUVER WOULD APPEAR CARELESS AND RECKLESS. TO THE F/O IT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE HE WILL NEVER FORGET. TO ME, THE CAPT, IT ILLUSTRATED THE NEED FOR MORE TRNING IN XWIND TECHNIQUE FOR THE F/O'S. OUR COMPANY TRAINS ONLY TO PROFICIENCY, NOT COMFORTABILITY. NEW F/O'S RECEIVE NO ACTUAL ACFT TRNING IN SOME MODELS OF OUR MLG INCLUDING THE XX WHICH HAVE NO HIGH LIFT DEVICES WITH TOTALLY DIFFERENT LNDG CHARACTERISTICS. TRNING NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY TRNING PLTS AND NOT LINE PLTS WITH PAX ON BOARD THE ACFT. INTERNAL SUGGESTIONS WILL RESULT IN TRYING TO FIND FAULT WITH THE PIC VS LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE OF THE PROB AND CORRECTING THE DEFICIENCIES BEFORE A LARGER PROB EXISTS. I THEREFORE, RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THIS RPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR FEELS MERGER IS PART OF PROB. RPTR HAS SPOKEN WITH PERSON IN CHARGE OF TRNING TO TRY FOR SOME UPGRADING. MAJOR COMPANY FEELS TRNING IS ADEQUATE FOR F/O'S, BUT ON LINE IT APPEARS NOT TO BE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.