A C414 PLT; LNDG ON RWY 24 AT VJI; EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT CAUSING HIM TO HIT SHORT OF THE RWY.

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VISUAL APCH IN VFR CONDITIONS TO RWY 24 AT VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS (VJI) ARPT; ABINGDON; VA. WINDS WERE LIGHT; VARIABLE AND TSTMS HAD RECENTLY BEEN IN THE AREA. ENTIRE APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL APPROX 200 FT AGL; WHEN I EXPERIENCED A 15-20 KT LOSS IN AIRSPD. I ADDED PWR; BUT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST DSCNT SUFFICIENTLY TO AVOID GND CONTACT PRIOR TO REACHING PAVED SURFACE. COMPLICATING MATTERS WAS THE EXISTENCE OF A RECENTLY BACKFILLED TRENCH WHICH HAD BEEN DUG TO BURY A WIRE. THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR HIT THIS TRENCH; CAUSING THE NOSE TO ABRUPTLY LOWER AND L PROP TIPS TO STRIKE THE GND AT 3 SEPARATE LOCATIONS. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT THEN ROSE AGAIN PRIOR TO REACHING PAVEMENT; BUT THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUCK AN APPROX 4 INCH STEP FROM THE SOD SURFACE TO THE TOP OF THE ASPHALT; CAUSING THE ACFT TO VAULT BACK INTO THE AIR A FEW FT. I COMPLETED THE LNDG AND TAXIED IN WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I FOUND NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR THE L PROP TIPS. THE ACFT IS PRESENTLY UNDERGOING FURTHER INSPECTION TO INCLUDE AT MINIMUM; ENG TEARDOWN; PROP REPAIR/OVERHAUL/ REPLACEMENT; AND LNDG GEAR RETRACTION TESTS. NO NTSB RPT WAS DEEMED NECESSARY. IN THE FUTURE; I MUST BE EVEN MORE VIGILANT TO BE CERTAIN TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPD TO AVOID THIS SIT AND; BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE CHANGING OF BOTH WIND DIRECTION AND SPD IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; AS WELL AS WHEN TSTMS HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA.