Narrative:

Landing on runway 7 (1792 ft). Immediately prior to landing flare, at a distance of approximately 145 ft from runway threshold, along the extended runway centerline, at a ht of approximately 8 ft above the runway surface, the lowermost 6 inches of the right landing gear struck an elevated obstruction. Airspeed was approximately 65 KTS. Estimated wind was from 080 degrees at 5-10 KTS. Aircraft was wings level, slightly nose up, full (40 degrees) flaps set. Approximately 1 1/2 seconds after striking the obstruction, the aircraft touched down approximately 25 ft down the runway along the centerline. The aircraft landed on the main gear, wings level, slight nose up. Immediately after touchdown, the right gear collapsed. The right side of the aircraft dropped as it rode on the remainder of the right gear strut and a ground loop started to develop. I held full aft elevator and full left rudder in attempting to keep the aircraft straight. However, the plane veered to the right and rain off the runway onto the runway apron and then into high grass and weeds, coming to a soft stop approximately 270 ft from the runway threshold. I immediately shut down the engine and electrical switches and evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft. The obstruction that had been struck was a metal electrical panel box, measuring approximately 2 1/2 ft high by 2 1/2 ft wide by 8 inches deep, mounted on 2 support posts. The entire structure projected approximately 4 ft above the ground. The mounting site is a mound of sand elevated approximately 4 ft above the runway surface. The total obstruction ht is approximately 8 ft above the runway surface. The site is covered with high beach grass and weeds which obscure any view of the obstruction. A red obstruction light was mounted on top of the box, but was not lighted at the time. The box was a dull metal color with no markings. The obstruction is not charted or noted on the commercial airport diagram, which I reviewed before and during the flight. I believe that the event was caused by the location of a hidden obstruction in close proximity to the threshold of a short runway along the runway centerline. I believe that recurrence can be prevented by: 1) relocating the obstruction 50 ft to the left or right. 2) prominently marking the obstruction for daytime visibility. 3) removing the weeds/grass/shrubs which surround the obstruction. 4) charting/notating obstruction on airport diagram. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter states that this was his first trip into 0b8. He does not know why this box is located right on the extended centerline of the runway. The box was mounted on breakaway posts indicating that someone thought about it being hit in the future. A new york state trooper investigated the incident. The airport was unattended at the time of the incident, in between FBO's. The FAA will give him a check ride to test his competency. There were no injuries and the aircraft has been repaired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT HIT AN UNCHARTED BOX ON LNDG AT AN UNATTENDED ARPT.

Narrative: LNDG ON RWY 7 (1792 FT). IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO LNDG FLARE, AT A DISTANCE OF APPROX 145 FT FROM RWY THRESHOLD, ALONG THE EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE, AT A HT OF APPROX 8 FT ABOVE THE RWY SURFACE, THE LOWERMOST 6 INCHES OF THE R LNDG GEAR STRUCK AN ELEVATED OBSTRUCTION. AIRSPD WAS APPROX 65 KTS. ESTIMATED WIND WAS FROM 080 DEGS AT 5-10 KTS. ACFT WAS WINGS LEVEL, SLIGHTLY NOSE UP, FULL (40 DEGS) FLAPS SET. APPROX 1 1/2 SECONDS AFTER STRIKING THE OBSTRUCTION, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROX 25 FT DOWN THE RWY ALONG THE CTRLINE. THE ACFT LANDED ON THE MAIN GEAR, WINGS LEVEL, SLIGHT NOSE UP. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE R GEAR COLLAPSED. THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT DROPPED AS IT RODE ON THE REMAINDER OF THE R GEAR STRUT AND A GND LOOP STARTED TO DEVELOP. I HELD FULL AFT ELEVATOR AND FULL L RUDDER IN ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THE ACFT STRAIGHT. HOWEVER, THE PLANE VEERED TO THE R AND RAIN OFF THE RWY ONTO THE RWY APRON AND THEN INTO HIGH GRASS AND WEEDS, COMING TO A SOFT STOP APPROX 270 FT FROM THE RWY THRESHOLD. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND ELECTRICAL SWITCHES AND EVACED THE ACFT. THE OBSTRUCTION THAT HAD BEEN STRUCK WAS A METAL ELECTRICAL PANEL BOX, MEASURING APPROX 2 1/2 FT HIGH BY 2 1/2 FT WIDE BY 8 INCHES DEEP, MOUNTED ON 2 SUPPORT POSTS. THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE PROJECTED APPROX 4 FT ABOVE THE GND. THE MOUNTING SITE IS A MOUND OF SAND ELEVATED APPROX 4 FT ABOVE THE RWY SURFACE. THE TOTAL OBSTRUCTION HT IS APPROX 8 FT ABOVE THE RWY SURFACE. THE SITE IS COVERED WITH HIGH BEACH GRASS AND WEEDS WHICH OBSCURE ANY VIEW OF THE OBSTRUCTION. A RED OBSTRUCTION LIGHT WAS MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE BOX, BUT WAS NOT LIGHTED AT THE TIME. THE BOX WAS A DULL METAL COLOR WITH NO MARKINGS. THE OBSTRUCTION IS NOT CHARTED OR NOTED ON THE COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM, WHICH I REVIEWED BEFORE AND DURING THE FLT. I BELIEVE THAT THE EVENT WAS CAUSED BY THE LOCATION OF A HIDDEN OBSTRUCTION IN CLOSE PROX TO THE THRESHOLD OF A SHORT RWY ALONG THE RWY CTRLINE. I BELIEVE THAT RECURRENCE CAN BE PREVENTED BY: 1) RELOCATING THE OBSTRUCTION 50 FT TO THE L OR R. 2) PROMINENTLY MARKING THE OBSTRUCTION FOR DAYTIME VISIBILITY. 3) REMOVING THE WEEDS/GRASS/SHRUBS WHICH SURROUND THE OBSTRUCTION. 4) CHARTING/NOTATING OBSTRUCTION ON ARPT DIAGRAM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATES THAT THIS WAS HIS FIRST TRIP INTO 0B8. HE DOES NOT KNOW WHY THIS BOX IS LOCATED RIGHT ON THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF THE RWY. THE BOX WAS MOUNTED ON BREAKAWAY POSTS INDICATING THAT SOMEONE THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEING HIT IN THE FUTURE. A NEW YORK STATE TROOPER INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT. THE ARPT WAS UNATTENDED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, IN BTWN FBO'S. THE FAA WILL GIVE HIM A CHK RIDE TO TEST HIS COMPETENCY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE ACFT HAS BEEN REPAIRED.

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.