Narrative:

Pilot had made night lndgs before at gustine, and had difficulty landing (tended to land long because of the narrow runway and dark surroundings). Because prior tendency to land long, the pilot elected to use short field technique and concentrated on landing near the threshold line. Approach on final was stabilized at 80 mph (vso approximately 65 mph), flare started prior to crossing threshold line, and plane settled hard on the runway, past the threshold lights. Upon landing, plane bounced hard back into the air which startled me (wasn't expecting that severe a bounce). I sensed a possible 'porpoise', so I added power to stabilize the landing, and landed uneventfully. A passenger had seen dirt and rocks fly up and suspected a propeller strike, so I shut down the engine and coasted the length of the runway. Examination by flashlight revealed a curled propeller tip and 2 bent main gear doors. Examination of runway following day showed that the plane touched down on the runway, 12 ft inside the threshold (as idented by the lights). Unfortunately, the pavement began at 12 ft and had a berm about 1-2 inches high. It was evident that the gear doors and propeller strike occurred as a result of the wheels striking the berm at the start of the pavement. That strike also forced the plane back into the air. Pilot being unaware that VASI lights were controled by 122.8, not 122.9. Pilot misjudged roundout in dark environment, struck ground too hard. Pilot added power, but not enough evidently and plane must have landed in a nose down position, striking the propeller tip 4 times on the runway. Not carefully reading the airport facility directory prior to flight. Pilot knew that there was a VASI, but didn't know how to operate it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS SHORT OF RWY, STRIKES LIP OF RWY AND IS DAMAGED.

Narrative: PLT HAD MADE NIGHT LNDGS BEFORE AT GUSTINE, AND HAD DIFFICULTY LNDG (TENDED TO LAND LONG BECAUSE OF THE NARROW RWY AND DARK SURROUNDINGS). BECAUSE PRIOR TENDENCY TO LAND LONG, THE PLT ELECTED TO USE SHORT FIELD TECHNIQUE AND CONCENTRATED ON LNDG NEAR THE THRESHOLD LINE. APCH ON FINAL WAS STABILIZED AT 80 MPH (VSO APPROX 65 MPH), FLARE STARTED PRIOR TO XING THRESHOLD LINE, AND PLANE SETTLED HARD ON THE RWY, PAST THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS. UPON LNDG, PLANE BOUNCED HARD BACK INTO THE AIR WHICH STARTLED ME (WASN'T EXPECTING THAT SEVERE A BOUNCE). I SENSED A POSSIBLE 'PORPOISE', SO I ADDED PWR TO STABILIZE THE LNDG, AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. A PAX HAD SEEN DIRT AND ROCKS FLY UP AND SUSPECTED A PROP STRIKE, SO I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND COASTED THE LENGTH OF THE RWY. EXAMINATION BY FLASHLIGHT REVEALED A CURLED PROP TIP AND 2 BENT MAIN GEAR DOORS. EXAMINATION OF RWY FOLLOWING DAY SHOWED THAT THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY, 12 FT INSIDE THE THRESHOLD (AS IDENTED BY THE LIGHTS). UNFORTUNATELY, THE PAVEMENT BEGAN AT 12 FT AND HAD A BERM ABOUT 1-2 INCHES HIGH. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE GEAR DOORS AND PROP STRIKE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE WHEELS STRIKING THE BERM AT THE START OF THE PAVEMENT. THAT STRIKE ALSO FORCED THE PLANE BACK INTO THE AIR. PLT BEING UNAWARE THAT VASI LIGHTS WERE CTLED BY 122.8, NOT 122.9. PLT MISJUDGED ROUNDOUT IN DARK ENVIRONMENT, STRUCK GND TOO HARD. PLT ADDED PWR, BUT NOT ENOUGH EVIDENTLY AND PLANE MUST HAVE LANDED IN A NOSE DOWN POS, STRIKING THE PROP TIP 4 TIMES ON THE RWY. NOT CAREFULLY READING THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY PRIOR TO FLT. PLT KNEW THAT THERE WAS A VASI, BUT DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT.

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.