SMA APPLIES PWR DURING TOUCH AND GO PRACTICE; ACFT PULLS TO R. 20 FT AIRBORNE; PULLS PWR. LANDS.

Narrative

I HAD BEEN PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO'S AT HAR. JUST AFTER MY FIFTH LNDG; I APPLIED PWR AND BEGAN A NEW TKOF ROLL. SUDDENLY; THERE WAS A THUNK AND THE ACFT BEGAN PULLING TO THE R. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING. I FELT I WAS ABLE TO OVERPWR THE PULL AFTER THE ACFT TOOK OFF; IT STILL PULLED TO THE R. AT AN ALT OF PERHAPS 20 FT AGL; I CUT PWR AND LANDED ON THE REMAINING RWY. I STILL HAD DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE ACFT ALIGNED DURING ROLLOUT. AS I SLOWED DOWN NEAR THE FAR END OF THE RWY; I GLANCED DOWN AND SAW THAT THE AUTOPLT HAD BEEN TURNED ON. APPARENTLY; MY HAND GLANCED AGAINST THE AUTOPLT ON-OFF SWITCH WHILE APPLYING THROTTLE PWR. THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED PARTLY BY MY INEXPERIENCE WITH THIS PARTICULAR PLANE (I HAVE FLOWN SMA'S BEFORE). MY SUCCESSFUL HANDLING CAN BE CREDITED TO THE CLUB INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD CHKED ME OUT IN THIS ACFT. ONE AREA HE STRESSED WAS CHKING THE AUTOPLT ON THE GND TO BE SURE YOU COULD OVERPWR IT. SO I FIGURED OUT I SHOULD CHK THERE AS I SLOWED DOWN. I THINK I WAS RIGHT TO LAND RATHER THAN CONTINUE AND TROUBLESHOOT IN THE AIR.