Hard landing after breaking out of 300' ceiling. Aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	108848
Time
Date	198904
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lrd
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	108848
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After breaking out of a 300' ceiling for landing my attention was diverted from outside aircraft to turn on the landing lights. By the time my eyes came back to the runway the aircraft contacted the ground very hard (saying ground, I mean runway). The next morning I requested mr xx to check the aircraft for a hard landing. About 1 hour later I went to the hangar to check the findings, and he had not checked the aircraft yet, so I myself checked the aircraft. I found damage to the clam shell doors, to the mechanical linkage that closes and opens the doors, the gear support bracket was broken. The gear actuator on the inboard side was broken loose from the gear. The rear brake top adjustor was bent. On the top of the wings there were wrinkles inboard of the nacelles, both left and right side. However, there were more wrinkles on the right side. Mfr was contacted and an inspector checked the aircraft. He ok'd the aircraft for flight to the factory for repair. The cause of the hard landing was due to my attention being diverted away to locate the landing lights switches which are overhead and grouped with other switches and cannot be readily located by feel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HARD LNDG AFTER BREAKING OUT OF 300' CEILING. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: AFTER BREAKING OUT OF A 300' CEILING FOR LNDG MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM OUTSIDE ACFT TO TURN ON THE LNDG LIGHTS. BY THE TIME MY EYES CAME BACK TO THE RWY THE ACFT CONTACTED THE GND VERY HARD (SAYING GND, I MEAN RWY). THE NEXT MORNING I REQUESTED MR XX TO CHK THE ACFT FOR A HARD LNDG. ABOUT 1 HR LATER I WENT TO THE HANGAR TO CHK THE FINDINGS, AND HE HAD NOT CHKED THE ACFT YET, SO I MYSELF CHKED THE ACFT. I FOUND DAMAGE TO THE CLAM SHELL DOORS, TO THE MECHANICAL LINKAGE THAT CLOSES AND OPENS THE DOORS, THE GEAR SUPPORT BRACKET WAS BROKEN. THE GEAR ACTUATOR ON THE INBOARD SIDE WAS BROKEN LOOSE FROM THE GEAR. THE REAR BRAKE TOP ADJUSTOR WAS BENT. ON THE TOP OF THE WINGS THERE WERE WRINKLES INBOARD OF THE NACELLES, BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE. HOWEVER, THERE WERE MORE WRINKLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE. MFR WAS CONTACTED AND AN INSPECTOR CHKED THE ACFT. HE OK'D THE ACFT FOR FLT TO THE FACTORY FOR REPAIR. THE CAUSE OF THE HARD LNDG WAS DUE TO MY ATTN BEING DIVERTED AWAY TO LOCATE THE LNDG LIGHTS SWITCHES WHICH ARE OVERHEAD AND GROUPED WITH OTHER SWITCHES AND CANNOT BE READILY LOCATED BY FEEL.

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.