Narrative:

I have 200 plus hours tailwheel experience and fly an small aircraft single engine land tailwheel I own as my primary transportation to and from my homes, and recreationally. I have no complex time nor do I have higher horsepwr sign-off. After giving a ride in my small aircraft I was asked by the airport manager if I had ever flown an small aircraft single engine land. 'No' and did I want to (well, ok!). Since the aircraft is a single seat confign, the chkout was on the ground. I sat in the cockpit after a walk-around where I noticed that it was a fixed pitch propeller, tailwheel aircraft. I listened and asked questions of the manager/CFI who stood on the wing. His approach speed recommendation was 60 KTS. I took off and tested response, slow flight, stall behavior, etc, at 2000 ft AGL then descended to landing pattern ht. I maintained 60 KTS in pattern, but on final, glanced at the airspeed indicator and saw 55. The GS was on target for an on-the-numbers landing, but approximately 100 ft from the margin of the filed, when the throttle was closed from its 1500 RPM setting, the aircraft settled rapidly. I applied more elevator to flare which stopped the descent rate but then stalled in flat from a ht of 15-18 ft, 40 ft short of the runway into a loose-packed corn field, broke the gear and nosed over, bending the propeller, damaging the wing, etc. After the fact, I found out that the aircraft has 235 hp. My previous maximum hp was 150 hp. Also after the fact, I found that the 'restr' placard was for crop spraying purposes only. Although I had my logbook, license, etc, with me, the necessary paperwork was not with the aircraft and my familiarization was strictly anecdotal (via the CFI briefing), therefore, I was less prepared than I should have been. Also, I did not follow instructions regarding 60 KTS for approach and relied on the 'feel' which was inappropriate since this was my first (and probably last) small aircraft single engine land experience and 'feel' was developed in a quite different aircraft. No injuries except pride!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT STALLED AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY OFF THE ARPT DURING THE FIRST LNDG IN THE TYPE OF ACFT.

Narrative: I HAVE 200 PLUS HRS TAILWHEEL EXPERIENCE AND FLY AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND TAILWHEEL I OWN AS MY PRIMARY TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM MY HOMES, AND RECREATIONALLY. I HAVE NO COMPLEX TIME NOR DO I HAVE HIGHER HORSEPWR SIGN-OFF. AFTER GIVING A RIDE IN MY SMA I WAS ASKED BY THE ARPT MGR IF I HAD EVER FLOWN AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND. 'NO' AND DID I WANT TO (WELL, OK!). SINCE THE ACFT IS A SINGLE SEAT CONFIGN, THE CHKOUT WAS ON THE GND. I SAT IN THE COCKPIT AFTER A WALK-AROUND WHERE I NOTICED THAT IT WAS A FIXED PITCH PROP, TAILWHEEL ACFT. I LISTENED AND ASKED QUESTIONS OF THE MGR/CFI WHO STOOD ON THE WING. HIS APCH SPD RECOMMENDATION WAS 60 KTS. I TOOK OFF AND TESTED RESPONSE, SLOW FLT, STALL BEHAVIOR, ETC, AT 2000 FT AGL THEN DSNDED TO LNDG PATTERN HT. I MAINTAINED 60 KTS IN PATTERN, BUT ON FINAL, GLANCED AT THE AIRSPD INDICATOR AND SAW 55. THE GS WAS ON TARGET FOR AN ON-THE-NUMBERS LNDG, BUT APPROX 100 FT FROM THE MARGIN OF THE FILED, WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS CLOSED FROM ITS 1500 RPM SETTING, THE ACFT SETTLED RAPIDLY. I APPLIED MORE ELEVATOR TO FLARE WHICH STOPPED THE DSCNT RATE BUT THEN STALLED IN FLAT FROM A HT OF 15-18 FT, 40 FT SHORT OF THE RWY INTO A LOOSE-PACKED CORN FIELD, BROKE THE GEAR AND NOSED OVER, BENDING THE PROP, DAMAGING THE WING, ETC. AFTER THE FACT, I FOUND OUT THAT THE ACFT HAS 235 HP. MY PREVIOUS MAX HP WAS 150 HP. ALSO AFTER THE FACT, I FOUND THAT THE 'RESTR' PLACARD WAS FOR CROP SPRAYING PURPOSES ONLY. ALTHOUGH I HAD MY LOGBOOK, LICENSE, ETC, WITH ME, THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK WAS NOT WITH THE ACFT AND MY FAMILIARIZATION WAS STRICTLY ANECDOTAL (VIA THE CFI BRIEFING), THEREFORE, I WAS LESS PREPARED THAN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. ALSO, I DID NOT FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING 60 KTS FOR APCH AND RELIED ON THE 'FEEL' WHICH WAS INAPPROPRIATE SINCE THIS WAS MY FIRST (AND PROBABLY LAST) SMA SINGLE ENG LAND EXPERIENCE AND 'FEEL' WAS DEVELOPED IN A QUITE DIFFERENT ACFT. NO INJURIES EXCEPT PRIDE!

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.