Narrative:

In brief, I landed about 50 ft short of the boeing field runway 31R threshold line. This was at the end of a 1.6 hour first flight and chkout in an small aircraft type 2, and after a long day at work. I had made 3 good lndgs and this was to be the final one. I wanted to try a short field landing and to set down on the runway numbers. On final approach my attention was drawn to a taxiing widebody transport freighter under the approach path and to maintaining a flight path on the VASI. Although I feel I remained on the VASI, my instructor said he felt that, while I was on the VASI, I was a little low on it and showed a trace of pink on the bottom light at one point. With my concern about keeping the flight path high, I subconsciously pulled back on the yoke, and my airspeed dropped from the desired 65 KIAS to 60 KIAS. Once over the paved portion of 31R, I reduced power to set down on the numbers, but the sink rate was greater than I expected. At about 50 ft AGL, I still thought the landing flare and subsequent float would carry me onto the numbers. In fact, the plane exhibited no float at all, and we landed about 50 ft short of the threshold line. The touchdown was not a hard one and was on paved runway, there was no damage or harm of any sort. However, as my instructor vigorously pointed out, landing 50 ft short at some airports can mean not making the runway at all. I made 2 main mistakes which caused this event: 1) I picked an intended touchdown point too close to the threshold, the problem being the numbers are an obvious, but perhaps not safe, target for a spot landing. Perhaps I also shouldn't have attempted a spot landing on a runway at which flying the VASI is so critical. 2) I let the speed drop to 60 KTS and expected the aircraft to perform about the same way it did at 65 KTS. I did this in an unfamiliar aircraft which, as it turns out, flares normally and floats slightly at 65 KTS, but sinks like a stone at 60 KTS. The small aircraft type 1, with which I am much more familiar, and which feels the same in many other respects, floats slightly even at 60 KTS. I probably shouldn't have tried a spot landing in a plane I had only landed 3 times before. Fatigue and a headache brought on by 'headset squeeze' were contributing factors in my poor performance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TRAINEE IN TRAINING ON TYPE LANDS SHORT OF DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: IN BRIEF, I LANDED ABOUT 50 FT SHORT OF THE BOEING FIELD RWY 31R THRESHOLD LINE. THIS WAS AT THE END OF A 1.6 HR FIRST FLT AND CHKOUT IN AN SMA TYPE 2, AND AFTER A LONG DAY AT WORK. I HAD MADE 3 GOOD LNDGS AND THIS WAS TO BE THE FINAL ONE. I WANTED TO TRY A SHORT FIELD LNDG AND TO SET DOWN ON THE RWY NUMBERS. ON FINAL APCH MY ATTN WAS DRAWN TO A TAXIING WDB FREIGHTER UNDER THE APCH PATH AND TO MAINTAINING A FLT PATH ON THE VASI. ALTHOUGH I FEEL I REMAINED ON THE VASI, MY INSTRUCTOR SAID HE FELT THAT, WHILE I WAS ON THE VASI, I WAS A LITTLE LOW ON IT AND SHOWED A TRACE OF PINK ON THE BOTTOM LIGHT AT ONE POINT. WITH MY CONCERN ABOUT KEEPING THE FLT PATH HIGH, I SUBCONSCIOUSLY PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE, AND MY AIRSPD DROPPED FROM THE DESIRED 65 KIAS TO 60 KIAS. ONCE OVER THE PAVED PORTION OF 31R, I REDUCED PWR TO SET DOWN ON THE NUMBERS, BUT THE SINK RATE WAS GREATER THAN I EXPECTED. AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL, I STILL THOUGHT THE LNDG FLARE AND SUBSEQUENT FLOAT WOULD CARRY ME ONTO THE NUMBERS. IN FACT, THE PLANE EXHIBITED NO FLOAT AT ALL, AND WE LANDED ABOUT 50 FT SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD LINE. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NOT A HARD ONE AND WAS ON PAVED RWY, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR HARM OF ANY SORT. HOWEVER, AS MY INSTRUCTOR VIGOROUSLY POINTED OUT, LNDG 50 FT SHORT AT SOME ARPTS CAN MEAN NOT MAKING THE RWY AT ALL. I MADE 2 MAIN MISTAKES WHICH CAUSED THIS EVENT: 1) I PICKED AN INTENDED TOUCHDOWN POINT TOO CLOSE TO THE THRESHOLD, THE PROBLEM BEING THE NUMBERS ARE AN OBVIOUS, BUT PERHAPS NOT SAFE, TARGET FOR A SPOT LNDG. PERHAPS I ALSO SHOULDN'T HAVE ATTEMPTED A SPOT LNDG ON A RWY AT WHICH FLYING THE VASI IS SO CRITICAL. 2) I LET THE SPD DROP TO 60 KTS AND EXPECTED THE ACFT TO PERFORM ABOUT THE SAME WAY IT DID AT 65 KTS. I DID THIS IN AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT WHICH, AS IT TURNS OUT, FLARES NORMALLY AND FLOATS SLIGHTLY AT 65 KTS, BUT SINKS LIKE A STONE AT 60 KTS. THE SMA TYPE 1, WITH WHICH I AM MUCH MORE FAMILIAR, AND WHICH FEELS THE SAME IN MANY OTHER RESPECTS, FLOATS SLIGHTLY EVEN AT 60 KTS. I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE TRIED A SPOT LNDG IN A PLANE I HAD ONLY LANDED 3 TIMES BEFORE. FATIGUE AND A HEADACHE BROUGHT ON BY 'HEADSET SQUEEZE' WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN MY POOR PERFORMANCE.

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.