Narrative:

I called huron FSS for pilots WX briefing (low turbulence surface to 4000'; no significant WX to indicate flight should be cancelled). Took off on runway 31 at chan gurney airport, yankton, sd, in an small aircraft winds calm; with wife (her second flight in small airplane), flew from yankton to springfield at 4500' along south shore of lewis and clark lake...little or no turbulence. At springfield, headed north across lake and encountered one high turbulent gust followed by a series of low to mod gusts...decided to head directly to yankton. Lots of buffeting on return trip between springfield and yankton, observed smoke showing a strong wind from the north. Decided to land on runway 31 at yankton; set up a 1 mi final approach. Called 'yankton traffic' to announce landing and position, wind from left (approximately 290) so used wing low to left and right rudder. Aligned with centerline ok for last 1/2 mi. Had flaps at 10 degree and airspeed 70 mph to compensate for gusty/turbulent conditions...at flare, plane shifted to left due to wind gust from right (approximately 330) and touched down on left side of runway and headed off runway for grassy area. Considered pushing right rudder to steer plane toward center of runway to stay on runway but at 50-60 mph ground roll, plane would probably have 'wheel-barreled' and damaged wing tip, so didn't do it. Looked ahead and determined I was going to miss runway lights so briefly considered allowing plane to roll onto grass to slow down ground speed. Looked beyond runway lights and realized at current speed that the plane would hit a runway identifier box so decided to lift off. Applied full throttle checked airspeed, waited for increase from approximately 50 to about 60, then pulled back on yoke to lift. Cleared closest runway identification box located at southwest corner of intersection of runway 19 and 31. Plane settled slightly but did not T/D. Horizontal stabilizer (left side) hit second runway identification marker located on northwest corner of intersection of runways 19 and 31. Felt slight jolt to plane. Saw I still had lots of runway left (about 3-4000') so kept plane airborne, moved to runway centerline, and landed; I do not recall anymore gusts or turbulence after the wind gust that affected the plane at the flare; however, upon deplaning I noticed the winds were very gusty and strong (estimate 20 gusting to 30). After thought: at first instance of misalignment of plane with centerline, I should have applied full power and lifted off (on 3 other previous lndgs I had made the decision to go around). I should not have considered rolling off runway onto grass.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PLT OF SMA ENCOUNTERED GUSTS AND CROSSWIND UPON LNDG. TOUCHED DOWN INTO GRASS, LIFTED OFF AGAIN AND REALIGNED OVER RWY FOR HARD LNDG.

Narrative: I CALLED HURON FSS FOR PLTS WX BRIEFING (LOW TURB SURFACE TO 4000'; NO SIGNIFICANT WX TO INDICATE FLT SHOULD BE CANCELLED). TOOK OFF ON RWY 31 AT CHAN GURNEY ARPT, YANKTON, SD, IN AN SMA WINDS CALM; WITH WIFE (HER SEC FLT IN SMALL AIRPLANE), FLEW FROM YANKTON TO SPRINGFIELD AT 4500' ALONG S SHORE OF LEWIS AND CLARK LAKE...LITTLE OR NO TURB. AT SPRINGFIELD, HEADED N ACROSS LAKE AND ENCOUNTERED ONE HIGH TURBULENT GUST FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF LOW TO MOD GUSTS...DECIDED TO HEAD DIRECTLY TO YANKTON. LOTS OF BUFFETING ON RETURN TRIP BTWN SPRINGFIELD AND YANKTON, OBSERVED SMOKE SHOWING A STRONG WIND FROM THE N. DECIDED TO LAND ON RWY 31 AT YANKTON; SET UP A 1 MI FINAL APCH. CALLED 'YANKTON TFC' TO ANNOUNCE LNDG AND POS, WIND FROM L (APPROX 290) SO USED WING LOW TO L AND R RUDDER. ALIGNED WITH CTRLINE OK FOR LAST 1/2 MI. HAD FLAPS AT 10 DEG AND AIRSPD 70 MPH TO COMPENSATE FOR GUSTY/TURBULENT CONDITIONS...AT FLARE, PLANE SHIFTED TO L DUE TO WIND GUST FROM R (APPROX 330) AND TOUCHED DOWN ON L SIDE OF RWY AND HEADED OFF RWY FOR GRASSY AREA. CONSIDERED PUSHING R RUDDER TO STEER PLANE TOWARD CTR OF RWY TO STAY ON RWY BUT AT 50-60 MPH GND ROLL, PLANE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE 'WHEEL-BARRELED' AND DAMAGED WING TIP, SO DIDN'T DO IT. LOOKED AHEAD AND DETERMINED I WAS GOING TO MISS RWY LIGHTS SO BRIEFLY CONSIDERED ALLOWING PLANE TO ROLL ONTO GRASS TO SLOW DOWN GND SPD. LOOKED BEYOND RWY LIGHTS AND REALIZED AT CURRENT SPD THAT THE PLANE WOULD HIT A RWY IDENTIFIER BOX SO DECIDED TO LIFT OFF. APPLIED FULL THROTTLE CHKED AIRSPD, WAITED FOR INCREASE FROM APPROX 50 TO ABOUT 60, THEN PULLED BACK ON YOKE TO LIFT. CLRED CLOSEST RWY ID BOX LOCATED AT SW CORNER OF INTXN OF RWY 19 AND 31. PLANE SETTLED SLIGHTLY BUT DID NOT T/D. HORIZ STABILIZER (L SIDE) HIT SEC RWY ID MARKER LOCATED ON NW CORNER OF INTXN OF RWYS 19 AND 31. FELT SLIGHT JOLT TO PLANE. SAW I STILL HAD LOTS OF RWY L (ABOUT 3-4000') SO KEPT PLANE AIRBORNE, MOVED TO RWY CTRLINE, AND LANDED; I DO NOT RECALL ANYMORE GUSTS OR TURB AFTER THE WIND GUST THAT AFFECTED THE PLANE AT THE FLARE; HOWEVER, UPON DEPLANING I NOTICED THE WINDS WERE VERY GUSTY AND STRONG (ESTIMATE 20 GUSTING TO 30). AFTER THOUGHT: AT FIRST INSTANCE OF MISALIGNMENT OF PLANE WITH CTRLINE, I SHOULD HAVE APPLIED FULL PWR AND LIFTED OFF (ON 3 OTHER PREVIOUS LNDGS I HAD MADE THE DECISION TO GO AROUND). I SHOULD NOT HAVE CONSIDERED ROLLING OFF RWY ONTO GRASS.

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.