A C172 PILOTS A NON CURRENT NIGHT LANDING DURING WHICH HE LANDED FAST AND LONG. A MAIN TIRE BURST DURING THE LANDING BECAUSE OF HEAVY BRAKING.

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THIS INCIDENT INVOLVED A LNDG I MADE IN A C172 LATE AT NIGHT. I MADE A FAST APCH TO THE RWY AND; THEREFORE; I DID NOT TOUCH DOWN UNTIL MORE THAN 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY; REQUIRING EXCESSIVE BRAKING TO STOP. THE R TIRE BURST; LEAVING THE AIRPLANE WITH NO DIRECTIONAL CTL ON THE GND. THIS REQUIRED ME AND MY PAX TO SHUT DOWN THE AIRPLANE; AND MANUALLY TOW IT TO THE RAMP WITH A TOW BAR. FORTUNATELY; THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT USING THE ARPT AT THE TIME AND; THEREFORE; WE DID NOT DELAY ANYONE ELSE TRYING TO USE THE RWY AND TXWYS. WHILE MANUALLY TOWING THE AIRPLANE TO THE RAMP; WE LEFT ALL THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS ON SO THAT THE AIRPLANE COULD BE EASILY IDENTED SHOULD ANY OTHER ACFT ARRIVE. I BELIEVE SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS WERE THE FACT THAT IT WAS SO LATE AT NIGHT; AND I WAS NOT AS ALERT AS I WOULD NORMALLY BE; AND THAT I HAD A DESIRE TO GET HOME QUICKLY. THIS ATTITUDE CAUSED ME TO MAKE A FAST DSCNT TO THE RWY; NOT THINKING THAT I WOULD NEED SO MUCH BRAKING TO STOP. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE EXECUTED A GAR WHEN I KNEW THAT A TOUCHDOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RWY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. I ALSO REALIZED LATER THAT I HAD NOT DONE THE REQUIRED 3 LNDGS AT NIGHT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN MANDATORY UNDER FAR 61.57(B)(1) IN ORDER TO CARRY PAX AT NIGHT. ALTHOUGH I HAVE ABOUT 1100 HRS OF FLT EXPERIENCE; I HAD NOT HAD A LOT OF RECENT FLT EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND UNFORTUNATELY I WAS NOT THINKING ABOUT THIS RULE. I AM ASHAMED AND EMBARRASSED THAT I MADE SUCH FOOLISH CHOICES WHICH POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE PUT MY PAX; MYSELF; AND OTHERS AT RISK. HOWEVER; I KNOW THAT THIS INCIDENT CAN ONLY MAKE ME A BETTER PLT. THIS EVENT JUST UNDERSCORES FOR ME THE NEED TO ALWAYS PUT SAFETY FIRST; AND TO NEVER COMPROMISE NORMAL OPS JUST FOR THE DESIRE TO GET HOME QUICKLY. I ALSO AM WELL AWARE THAT THE REGS ARE IN PLACE FOR A REASON AND IT IS MY JOB AS A PLT TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM ALWAYS IN COMPLIANCE OF THE FARS TO PROTECT OTHER'S AND MY SAFETY.