Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; General Maintenance Action
Weather; Human Factors
On final [weather radar] was painting yellow at the end of the runway with red off the end. A 'splattering' of green on and in front of and to the side of the runway. We could see centerline on final to the end on the runway. Very near touchdown; below 30 ft; we encountered a very strong gust of wind from the right side. At the same time; visibility dropped to very low. The airplane weather-vaned into the wind [and got] pushed the [to] right of the runway. I tried to keep the airplane on the runway by using rudder and as little ailerons as I could because I did not want to [get a] wing strike. I could no longer see the center line but I could tell we were still on pavement. The airplane floated just a bit due to the sudden added wind speed we touched down with a side load. Just before we touched down; the F/O (First Officer) said 'we need to go left.' I tried but the aircraft didn't respond right away. The FO said again 'left; left' and then because he didn't feel me trying he [input] rudder as well. We got a dual input.I then said 'my controls' and the aircraft started responding and I was able to get it back to centerline. This all happened in a matter of seconds from the gust/ sudden loss of visibility to touchdown right of center line; side-loaded. Just as quickly it passed and visibility returned to what is was before. In the second it happened; I thought of a go-around and very quickly dismissed because of the thunderstorm at the end of the runway and our very low energy. I was worried about wind shear with the low energy and didn't think we could get enough altitude to turn before heavy rain at the departure end of the runway.Exited the runway and taxied back to the terminals normally. When we reached the gate; local Maintenance was waiting on us. I asked them to the cockpit. I told them that we had a hard landing and a side-loaded landing. I told them I was going to write it up for that. I was in the process of writing it up and calling Dispatch and Maintenance Control when local [Maintenance] came back up and said there was damage and grass on the underbelly. I finished writing up the side-loading and then went out to take a look to see what I needed to write up. The left engine appeared to have ingested FOD (grass) and there was damage to the right engine lower outboard reverser door. I returned to the cockpit and wrote these up as well. Looking back on it; I don't think I should have written up a hard landing. I don't feel like it was a hard landing but it was definitely a side-loaded landing.I might have been able to glance back inside and continued to use the localizer guidance to be able to tell how far off of center line the aircraft was for the few seconds that the visibility dropped.
[We] were on final [and] both noticed that there was some yellow painting on the radar at the very end of the runway; with red painting well off the end of the runway. The only thing that we actually painted on the runway was green.On short final; at 500 feet AGL; we were able to see the centerline of the runway all the way to the end. The Tower stated the wind was 170 at 18 gust 27. There was rain present also. I never at any time saw any lightning. At approximately 10 feet off the runway; I placed the Captain's windshield wiper on low then followed by high; just to make sure that we had visibility through the rain. As soon as we entered the rain area; there was what appeared to be a strong gust and significant rain; and the plane's nose [weather-vaned] into the wind. At the point where I felt like we were going to touch down; the plane floated a bit; and moved to the right side of the runway. At which point; I stated; 'left; left'..... I never heard my Captain's response; so I stated it again; 'we need to go left; left' and at which point I did give some input to the left rudder; due to feeling like we might go off the runway. After stating the 2nd time of needing to go left; my Captain acknowledged me and we slowed enough to maneuver to the left and then back to center line.At no point did I believe a go-around would be a good idea; due to the fact of having little to no energy for a safe go-around. This entire incident took a total of less than 4-8 seconds.After getting back on centerline; I heard [another aircraft] 3 miles behind us; and advised them to NOT LAND; due to low visibility. They got a heading and broke off the visual approach. There was also [a second aircraft] and I advised the Tower to ask them to also; NOT LAND too due to the same reasons. They too; took a heading and landed later.We taxied to the ramp without further incident. My Captain talked to Maintenance; wrote it up in the log book and also; did the post flight walk around.Preventive measures would be to go around/break off the visual approach. However we didn't have anyone to attempt prior to us; which would have been nice; because we did not have any visibility reports prior to landing.
A320 flight crew reported a runway excursion in gusty wind conditions that resulted in damage to the belly and engine nacelle.