Narrative:

A landing which required 7 ft more than available runway length occurred as a result of unintentional aircraft overloading. 4 passenger and 4 sets of golf clubs (2 starter sets, with only 7 clubs) were loaded aboard an small aircraft for a tee time 1 hour later and 20 NM away. My preflight check made an honest estimate of the load to be sufficiently below the 904 pounds maximum for this aircraft type. The 50 pounds of clubs were in the rear baggage area, and 600 pounds of people were unevenly scattered (the hvyiest person in the rear seat). Unfortunately, I forgot to take the weight of the usable fuel into account (80 gallons/240 pounds). I realized there was a problem when after takeoff it took over 2 mins to reach 500 ft and san jose international tower to report radar contact, but we were able to achieve an altitude of 3000 ft to pass over sunol pass en route to lvk without circling. Called my downwind off the 45, abeam lvk tower (left traffic, runway 25L) at pattern altitude 1400 ft MSL. Realized the severity of the problem when on final (power back to 1700 RPM, 10 degrees flaps). On approach I needed a steeper angle of descent but, to my surprise, my nose down trim was at the maximum and forward yoke pressure was not providing the needed descent rate. I pulled power back to 1200 RPM to bring her down, but as I did, the descent rate shot up dramatically due to the weight of the load. I had to add power to make the runway and remove the 10 degrees of flaps as we accelerated out of the white arc. I have made plenty of no flap lndgs, and several with 4 passenger, but on this occasion we were at too high a speed as we passed over the runway threshold. It was unfortunate that we were using the left (shorter) runway. We had passed approximately 25 percent of runway length before touching wheels to ground, but since our speed was so great, as I tried to slow her down by applying back pressure, we took back off. After 2 hops, I finally forced her to stay down and applied the brakes, but we were already at the end of the runway and came to a complete stop about 7 ft beyond the threshold marker. If we had used the right runway, we would have had room to spare! Nobody was hurt and the aircraft was not damaged, but I called the FAA tower on the landline as requested when we were parked. For the return flight, we left the golf clubs in livermore (and drove back for them). The aircraft handled normally on the return. The problem occurred as a result of inaction. I did not perform a center of gravity calculation because I perceived us to be well below the maximum usable load. This perception was inaccurate since I forgot to include the weight of the usable fuel. Had I performed the center of gravity calculation, the usable fuel weight and moment would have been staring me in the face (since it is listed on the tabular form in the aircraft users manual). This problem will not occur again, as long as I am the pilot of an aircraft. The center of gravity calculation is not difficult and could have prevented this occurrence. In addition, the usable load limitations of an small aircraft have made themselves apparent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA OVERWT FOR TKOF AND LNDG. UPON LNDG RAN OFF END OF RWY.

Narrative: A LNDG WHICH REQUIRED 7 FT MORE THAN AVAILABLE RWY LENGTH OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF UNINTENTIONAL ACFT OVERLOADING. 4 PAX AND 4 SETS OF GOLF CLUBS (2 STARTER SETS, WITH ONLY 7 CLUBS) WERE LOADED ABOARD AN SMA FOR A TEE TIME 1 HR LATER AND 20 NM AWAY. MY PREFLT CHK MADE AN HONEST ESTIMATE OF THE LOAD TO BE SUFFICIENTLY BELOW THE 904 POUNDS MAX FOR THIS ACFT TYPE. THE 50 POUNDS OF CLUBS WERE IN THE REAR BAGGAGE AREA, AND 600 POUNDS OF PEOPLE WERE UNEVENLY SCATTERED (THE HVYIEST PERSON IN THE REAR SEAT). UNFORTUNATELY, I FORGOT TO TAKE THE WT OF THE USABLE FUEL INTO ACCOUNT (80 GALLONS/240 POUNDS). I REALIZED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WHEN AFTER TKOF IT TOOK OVER 2 MINS TO REACH 500 FT AND SAN JOSE INTL TWR TO RPT RADAR CONTACT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE AN ALT OF 3000 FT TO PASS OVER SUNOL PASS ENRTE TO LVK WITHOUT CIRCLING. CALLED MY DOWNWIND OFF THE 45, ABEAM LVK TWR (L TFC, RWY 25L) AT PATTERN ALT 1400 FT MSL. REALIZED THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM WHEN ON FINAL (PWR BACK TO 1700 RPM, 10 DEGS FLAPS). ON APCH I NEEDED A STEEPER ANGLE OF DSCNT BUT, TO MY SURPRISE, MY NOSE DOWN TRIM WAS AT THE MAX AND FORWARD YOKE PRESSURE WAS NOT PROVIDING THE NEEDED DSCNT RATE. I PULLED PWR BACK TO 1200 RPM TO BRING HER DOWN, BUT AS I DID, THE DSCNT RATE SHOT UP DRAMATICALLY DUE TO THE WT OF THE LOAD. I HAD TO ADD PWR TO MAKE THE RWY AND REMOVE THE 10 DEGS OF FLAPS AS WE ACCELERATED OUT OF THE WHITE ARC. I HAVE MADE PLENTY OF NO FLAP LNDGS, AND SEVERAL WITH 4 PAX, BUT ON THIS OCCASION WE WERE AT TOO HIGH A SPD AS WE PASSED OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE WERE USING THE L (SHORTER) RWY. WE HAD PASSED APPROX 25 PERCENT OF RWY LENGTH BEFORE TOUCHING WHEELS TO GND, BUT SINCE OUR SPD WAS SO GREAT, AS I TRIED TO SLOW HER DOWN BY APPLYING BACK PRESSURE, WE TOOK BACK OFF. AFTER 2 HOPS, I FINALLY FORCED HER TO STAY DOWN AND APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT WE WERE ALREADY AT THE END OF THE RWY AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ABOUT 7 FT BEYOND THE THRESHOLD MARKER. IF WE HAD USED THE RIGHT RWY, WE WOULD HAVE HAD ROOM TO SPARE! NOBODY WAS HURT AND THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED, BUT I CALLED THE FAA TWR ON THE LANDLINE AS REQUESTED WHEN WE WERE PARKED. FOR THE RETURN FLT, WE LEFT THE GOLF CLUBS IN LIVERMORE (AND DROVE BACK FOR THEM). THE ACFT HANDLED NORMALLY ON THE RETURN. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF INACTION. I DID NOT PERFORM A CENTER OF GRAVITY CALCULATION BECAUSE I PERCEIVED US TO BE WELL BELOW THE MAX USABLE LOAD. THIS PERCEPTION WAS INACCURATE SINCE I FORGOT TO INCLUDE THE WT OF THE USABLE FUEL. HAD I PERFORMED THE CENTER OF GRAVITY CALCULATION, THE USABLE FUEL WT AND MOMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN STARING ME IN THE FACE (SINCE IT IS LISTED ON THE TABULAR FORM IN THE ACFT USERS MANUAL). THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN, AS LONG AS I AM THE PLT OF AN ACFT. THE CENTER OF GRAVITY CALCULATION IS NOT DIFFICULT AND COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. IN ADDITION, THE USABLE LOAD LIMITATIONS OF AN SMA HAVE MADE THEMSELVES APPARENT.

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.