SMA LANDS SHORT OF RWY; STRIKES LIP OF RWY AND IS DAMAGED.

Date: 1992-09 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-runway-or-taxiway-excursion|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA LANDS SHORT OF RWY; STRIKES LIP OF RWY AND IS DAMAGED.

Narrative

PLT HAD MADE NIGHT LNDGS BEFORE AT GUSTINE; AND HAD DIFFICULTY LNDG (TENDED TO LAND LONG BECAUSE OF THE NARROW RWY AND DARK SURROUNDINGS). BECAUSE PRIOR TENDENCY TO LAND LONG; THE PLT ELECTED TO USE SHORT FIELD TECHNIQUE AND CONCENTRATED ON LNDG NEAR THE THRESHOLD LINE. APCH ON FINAL WAS STABILIZED AT 80 MPH (VSO APPROX 65 MPH); FLARE STARTED PRIOR TO XING THRESHOLD LINE; AND PLANE SETTLED HARD ON THE RWY; PAST THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS. UPON LNDG; PLANE BOUNCED HARD BACK INTO THE AIR WHICH STARTLED ME (WASN'T EXPECTING THAT SEVERE A BOUNCE). I SENSED A POSSIBLE 'PORPOISE'; SO I ADDED PWR TO STABILIZE THE LNDG; AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. A PAX HAD SEEN DIRT AND ROCKS FLY UP AND SUSPECTED A PROP STRIKE; SO I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND COASTED THE LENGTH OF THE RWY. EXAMINATION BY FLASHLIGHT REVEALED A CURLED PROP TIP AND 2 BENT MAIN GEAR DOORS. EXAMINATION OF RWY FOLLOWING DAY SHOWED THAT THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY; 12 FT INSIDE THE THRESHOLD (AS IDENTED BY THE LIGHTS). UNFORTUNATELY; THE PAVEMENT BEGAN AT 12 FT AND HAD A BERM ABOUT 1-2 INCHES HIGH. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE GEAR DOORS AND PROP STRIKE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE WHEELS STRIKING THE BERM AT THE START OF THE PAVEMENT. THAT STRIKE ALSO FORCED THE PLANE BACK INTO THE AIR. PLT BEING UNAWARE THAT VASI LIGHTS WERE CTLED BY 122.8; NOT 122.9. PLT MISJUDGED ROUNDOUT IN DARK ENVIRONMENT; STRUCK GND TOO HARD. PLT ADDED PWR; BUT NOT ENOUGH EVIDENTLY AND PLANE MUST HAVE LANDED IN A NOSE DOWN POS; STRIKING THE PROP TIP 4 TIMES ON THE RWY. NOT CAREFULLY READING THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY PRIOR TO FLT. PLT KNEW THAT THERE WAS A VASI; BUT DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.