Narrative:

I departed in my small aircraft X from santa flight engineer airport on a VFR flight plan to colorado springs for the purpose of having radio work done. I was vectored on to a left downwind for runway 17. There were several other aircraft landing, even a student doing touch and goes on runway 12, and an aircraft doing practice apches. I set up a long final. The wind was from the left, I was maintaining a crab into the wind. At this time I had gear down, 10 degree of flaps, my airspeed was approximately 100 mph. On short final I applied another 10 degree of flaps (I now had on 20 degree) and placed the aircraft in a slip with left wing down. There was no turbulence on any of this final approach. I touched down on the centerline of the runway (I also noticed my airspeed was 90 mph over the numbers). My left main touched first, then the right main, then the nosewheel. I was getting ready to take off the flaps with my right hand and was holding the aileron into the wind with my left hand. At that moment, there was a sudden wrenching movement of the plane to the left -- it appeared very extreme leaving the nose of the plane at a 45 or 50 degree angle to the centerline of the runway. I started to apply brakes, and remember starting to apply the right brake, but changed my mind abruptly, as in my judgement, the angle of the nose to the centerline of the runway was too great to correct at that time without further jeopardizing the stability of the aircraft. I remember having a fear of over manipulating the aircraft, and striking a wingtip and cartwheeling. I also was aware that I had about 4 hours of fuel on board. The plane went off the side of the runway and began trundling across a weedy, grassy area. I felt that the aircraft was in control at this time so elected to hold back elevator on the roll out, and gingerly tried the brakes again. (At this time I thought that I might have had some kind of left wheel or brake problem.) I felt a slight pull to the left, but as the ground was very uneven, I couldn't tell if there were anything really wrong. I then chose to continue the roll out, which I did, but at that time I noticed a small access road almost perpendicular to my path out in front which became visible over the weed tops. The road had a small lip on the side, I believe at this time was when the nose dipped and the propeller was dinged. I did not know that I had dinged the propeller until I shut down the engine. I heard the tower saying they would send out the crash crew. I didn't tell them I was ok, but simply pulled the mixture, and shut down the aircraft. I inspected the entire aircraft, and with the exception of the propeller, could see no other damage, with the exception of a burn from left to right on the nose tire. I stayed and made proper reports to the tower and the airport manager, and made sure the aircraft was towed to the FBO. Later I made a requested phone report by telephone to FSDO of denver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT EXPERIENCES RWY EXCURSION AT COS IN WINDY CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I DEPARTED IN MY SMA X FROM SANTA FE ARPT ON A VFR FLT PLAN TO COLORADO SPRINGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HAVING RADIO WORK DONE. I WAS VECTORED ON TO A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT LNDG, EVEN A STUDENT DOING TOUCH AND GOES ON RWY 12, AND AN ACFT DOING PRACTICE APCHES. I SET UP A LONG FINAL. THE WIND WAS FROM THE LEFT, I WAS MAINTAINING A CRAB INTO THE WIND. AT THIS TIME I HAD GEAR DOWN, 10 DEG OF FLAPS, MY AIRSPEED WAS APPROX 100 MPH. ON SHORT FINAL I APPLIED ANOTHER 10 DEG OF FLAPS (I NOW HAD ON 20 DEG) AND PLACED THE ACFT IN A SLIP WITH LEFT WING DOWN. THERE WAS NO TURBULENCE ON ANY OF THIS FINAL APCH. I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE RWY (I ALSO NOTICED MY AIRSPEED WAS 90 MPH OVER THE NUMBERS). MY LEFT MAIN TOUCHED FIRST, THEN THE RIGHT MAIN, THEN THE NOSEWHEEL. I WAS GETTING READY TO TAKE OFF THE FLAPS WITH MY RIGHT HAND AND WAS HOLDING THE AILERON INTO THE WIND WITH MY LEFT HAND. AT THAT MOMENT, THERE WAS A SUDDEN WRENCHING MOVEMENT OF THE PLANE TO THE LEFT -- IT APPEARED VERY EXTREME LEAVING THE NOSE OF THE PLANE AT A 45 OR 50 DEG ANGLE TO THE CENTERLINE OF THE RWY. I STARTED TO APPLY BRAKES, AND REMEMBER STARTING TO APPLY THE RIGHT BRAKE, BUT CHANGED MY MIND ABRUPTLY, AS IN MY JUDGEMENT, THE ANGLE OF THE NOSE TO THE CENTERLINE OF THE RWY WAS TOO GREAT TO CORRECT AT THAT TIME WITHOUT FURTHER JEOPARDIZING THE STABILITY OF THE ACFT. I REMEMBER HAVING A FEAR OF OVER MANIPULATING THE ACFT, AND STRIKING A WINGTIP AND CARTWHEELING. I ALSO WAS AWARE THAT I HAD ABOUT 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PLANE WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND BEGAN TRUNDLING ACROSS A WEEDY, GRASSY AREA. I FELT THAT THE ACFT WAS IN CONTROL AT THIS TIME SO ELECTED TO HOLD BACK ELEVATOR ON THE ROLL OUT, AND GINGERLY TRIED THE BRAKES AGAIN. (AT THIS TIME I THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT HAVE HAD SOME KIND OF LEFT WHEEL OR BRAKE PROBLEM.) I FELT A SLIGHT PULL TO THE LEFT, BUT AS THE GND WAS VERY UNEVEN, I COULDN'T TELL IF THERE WERE ANYTHING REALLY WRONG. I THEN CHOSE TO CONTINUE THE ROLL OUT, WHICH I DID, BUT AT THAT TIME I NOTICED A SMALL ACCESS ROAD ALMOST PERPENDICULAR TO MY PATH OUT IN FRONT WHICH BECAME VISIBLE OVER THE WEED TOPS. THE ROAD HAD A SMALL LIP ON THE SIDE, I BELIEVE AT THIS TIME WAS WHEN THE NOSE DIPPED AND THE PROPELLER WAS DINGED. I DID NOT KNOW THAT I HAD DINGED THE PROPELLER UNTIL I SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. I HEARD THE TWR SAYING THEY WOULD SEND OUT THE CRASH CREW. I DIDN'T TELL THEM I WAS OK, BUT SIMPLY PULLED THE MIXTURE, AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. I INSPECTED THE ENTIRE ACFT, AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PROPELLER, COULD SEE NO OTHER DAMAGE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A BURN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE NOSE TIRE. I STAYED AND MADE PROPER REPORTS TO THE TWR AND THE ARPT MGR, AND MADE SURE THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE FBO. LATER I MADE A REQUESTED PHONE REPORT BY TELEPHONE TO FSDO OF DENVER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.