Narrative:

I was returning VFR from catalina, having flown there earlier in the day. I had 3 passenger on board. It was dusk. El monte ATIS was current--80 broken, 100 overcast, visibility 20, clm, 30:04, VOR a runway 19. It had rained off and on during the afternoon. The rain had stopped about 45 mins prior to my landing. The runway and ramp surfaces were still wet. I remember on turning final that the surfaces were reflecting the surrounding lights and that the runway centerline was not visible. On my turn to final, I had to correct from being right of course. My focus was then on the VASI on the right side of runway 19 to check my approach descent. Only as I began my flare out over the threshold, my eyes focused down the runway, do I remember picking up the left side flashing runway end light in my peripheral vision and a quick mental questioning on my position relative to the light. The flare out terminated in a full stall landing. The full realization of my landing astride the left edge runway lights didn't occur until the nosewheel fairing hit and broke off a runway edge light just after landing. A second edge light was struck and broken off by the nosewheel fairing before finishing the roll out. The faring incurred only minor scrapes and scratches due to the break away nature of the runway edge lights. The question that still haunts me is: am I so focused on a center line in landing that I could have subconsciously substituted the runway edge lights for the obscured runway center line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BROKE RWY LIGHTS ON LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING VFR FROM CATALINA, HAVING FLOWN THERE EARLIER IN THE DAY. I HAD 3 PAX ON BOARD. IT WAS DUSK. EL MONTE ATIS WAS CURRENT--80 BROKEN, 100 OVCST, VISIBILITY 20, CLM, 30:04, VOR A RWY 19. IT HAD RAINED OFF AND ON DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE RAIN HAD STOPPED ABOUT 45 MINS PRIOR TO MY LNDG. THE RWY AND RAMP SURFACES WERE STILL WET. I REMEMBER ON TURNING FINAL THAT THE SURFACES WERE REFLECTING THE SURROUNDING LIGHTS AND THAT THE RWY CENTERLINE WAS NOT VISIBLE. ON MY TURN TO FINAL, I HAD TO CORRECT FROM BEING RIGHT OF COURSE. MY FOCUS WAS THEN ON THE VASI ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RWY 19 TO CHK MY APCH DSCNT. ONLY AS I BEGAN MY FLARE OUT OVER THE THRESHOLD, MY EYES FOCUSED DOWN THE RWY, DO I REMEMBER PICKING UP THE LEFT SIDE FLASHING RWY END LIGHT IN MY PERIPHERAL VISION AND A QUICK MENTAL QUESTIONING ON MY POS RELATIVE TO THE LIGHT. THE FLARE OUT TERMINATED IN A FULL STALL LNDG. THE FULL REALIZATION OF MY LNDG ASTRIDE THE LEFT EDGE RWY LIGHTS DIDN'T OCCUR UNTIL THE NOSEWHEEL FAIRING HIT AND BROKE OFF A RWY EDGE LIGHT JUST AFTER LNDG. A SECOND EDGE LIGHT WAS STRUCK AND BROKEN OFF BY THE NOSEWHEEL FAIRING BEFORE FINISHING THE ROLL OUT. THE FARING INCURRED ONLY MINOR SCRAPES AND SCRATCHES DUE TO THE BREAK AWAY NATURE OF THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. THE QUESTION THAT STILL HAUNTS ME IS: AM I SO FOCUSED ON A CENTER LINE IN LNDG THAT I COULD HAVE SUBCONSCIOUSLY SUBSTITUTED THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS FOR THE OBSCURED RWY CENTER LINE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.