Hard Landing FCTM 6.30 737NG
Boeing airplanes are designed to withstand touchdown rates well above typical touchdown rates seen during daily operations. Even a perceived hard landing is usually well below these design criteria. Boeing policy is that a pilot report is the only factor that consistently identifies a hard landing. If the pilot believes that a hard landing may have occurred, it should be reported. A maintenance inspection will determine if further maintenance action is needed.
Appendix A.2.9
Boeing considers pilot reporting as the sole determination of a hard landing. Landing acceleration data from the airplane Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) can be used to determine the level of inspections required after a pilot report of a hard landing, but not to determine if a hard landing was made.