Narrative:

On short final for runway 33, xwinds of 14 mph at 300 degrees, VFR with 15 mi visibility. Temperature 40 degrees. Problem arose: plane with 4 persons aboard bounced on landing. Upon bouncing, nose pitched up and plane rose approximately 5 ft off runway, as airspeed deteriorated I pushed nose down to reduce upward trend of bounce. At apex, I applied up elevator to attempt to flare. At this point, plane bounced on all 3 gear and no more than 2-3 ft off runway. At each bounce, crosswind blew plane closer and closer to the edge of runway, which was snow-covered with approximately 5-6 inches of wet snow. On third bounce, which was very subtle, my right gear entered the snow. At this point, I applied left rudder to steer out of snow, airspeed 40 KIAS. This action proved futile as snow depth increased the further the tire went in. As the nosewheel started to enter, I at this point applied some power to help rudder effectiveness, but this also was ineffective. At this point, the plane's gear were all in the snow. I continued for approximately 30-40 ft with moderate power. At this time I realized that it was not going to work, so I reduced power as speed slowed. As the craft began to slow down the tail became light and the nose pitched down resulting in a 'nose poke.' damage to the plane: bent propeller, both wingtips bashed, nose cone crumpled, landing gear unaffected due to slow speed and propeller appeared to take brunt on impact in down angle. Engine was at an idle at impact. No injuries involved. Distance from runway at point of rest: 16 ft. Estimated speed at point of impact 19 mph. Contributing factors: low hours in type, above 3 degrees final GS, crosswind, and pilot inexperience, with low total time. Human perception: unfamiliar airport with narrow strip gave the deception on downwind to turn too soon crosswind. Judgement at that time was to continue on approach to final, even though I was high. This decision was the first error in series. At this point, proper judgement would have been to 'go around.' second misjudgement was the lack of applied power on the first bounce and to compensate for crosswind. Third misjudgement: getting out of bed in the morning! The only consolation to this is it will make me a better pilot. This has taught me to improve my detection of errors in judgement before errors lead errors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT EXPERIENCES LOSS OF ACFT CTL IN LNDG PROC.

Narrative: ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 33, XWINDS OF 14 MPH AT 300 DEGS, VFR WITH 15 MI VISIBILITY. TEMP 40 DEGS. PROB AROSE: PLANE WITH 4 PERSONS ABOARD BOUNCED ON LNDG. UPON BOUNCING, NOSE PITCHED UP AND PLANE ROSE APPROX 5 FT OFF RWY, AS AIRSPD DETERIORATED I PUSHED NOSE DOWN TO REDUCE UPWARD TREND OF BOUNCE. AT APEX, I APPLIED UP ELEVATOR TO ATTEMPT TO FLARE. AT THIS POINT, PLANE BOUNCED ON ALL 3 GEAR AND NO MORE THAN 2-3 FT OFF RWY. AT EACH BOUNCE, XWIND BLEW PLANE CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE EDGE OF RWY, WHICH WAS SNOW-COVERED WITH APPROX 5-6 INCHES OF WET SNOW. ON THIRD BOUNCE, WHICH WAS VERY SUBTLE, MY R GEAR ENTERED THE SNOW. AT THIS POINT, I APPLIED L RUDDER TO STEER OUT OF SNOW, AIRSPD 40 KIAS. THIS ACTION PROVED FUTILE AS SNOW DEPTH INCREASED THE FURTHER THE TIRE WENT IN. AS THE NOSEWHEEL STARTED TO ENTER, I AT THIS POINT APPLIED SOME PWR TO HELP RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS, BUT THIS ALSO WAS INEFFECTIVE. AT THIS POINT, THE PLANE'S GEAR WERE ALL IN THE SNOW. I CONTINUED FOR APPROX 30-40 FT WITH MODERATE PWR. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO WORK, SO I REDUCED PWR AS SPD SLOWED. AS THE CRAFT BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN THE TAIL BECAME LIGHT AND THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN RESULTING IN A 'NOSE POKE.' DAMAGE TO THE PLANE: BENT PROP, BOTH WINGTIPS BASHED, NOSE CONE CRUMPLED, LNDG GEAR UNAFFECTED DUE TO SLOW SPD AND PROP APPEARED TO TAKE BRUNT ON IMPACT IN DOWN ANGLE. ENG WAS AT AN IDLE AT IMPACT. NO INJURIES INVOLVED. DISTANCE FROM RWY AT POINT OF REST: 16 FT. ESTIMATED SPD AT POINT OF IMPACT 19 MPH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LOW HRS IN TYPE, ABOVE 3 DEGS FINAL GS, XWIND, AND PLT INEXPERIENCE, WITH LOW TOTAL TIME. HUMAN PERCEPTION: UNFAMILIAR ARPT WITH NARROW STRIP GAVE THE DECEPTION ON DOWNWIND TO TURN TOO SOON XWIND. JUDGEMENT AT THAT TIME WAS TO CONTINUE ON APCH TO FINAL, EVEN THOUGH I WAS HIGH. THIS DECISION WAS THE FIRST ERROR IN SERIES. AT THIS POINT, PROPER JUDGEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO 'GAR.' SECOND MISJUDGEMENT WAS THE LACK OF APPLIED PWR ON THE FIRST BOUNCE AND TO COMPENSATE FOR XWIND. THIRD MISJUDGEMENT: GETTING OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING! THE ONLY CONSOLATION TO THIS IS IT WILL MAKE ME A BETTER PLT. THIS HAS TAUGHT ME TO IMPROVE MY DETECTION OF ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT BEFORE ERRORS LEAD ERRORS.

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.