Narrative:

The flight was the final day of a 12 day cross country trip from sat (san antonio, tx) to mci (kansas city international, mo) to mdw (chicago midway, il) to brd (brainard, mn) to a return destination of sep/xx/94. I filed an a.M. Computer flight plan for brd-rdk (red oak, ia). After takeoff, I received no response from princeton radio so presumed I was having radio trouble and did not get the flight plan open. I landed at rdk for a fuel top off. I asked the unicom man that fueled the plane if he heard my radio xmissions. He said he had but it was a bit garbled. The radio seemed to work offirst officern, but was not a major problem. I planned to land short of sat and call the tower, requesting advance squawk code in case the radio acted up. I called fort dodge FSS (via phone) and got a WX briefing for my next leg for rdk-swo (stillwater, ok). I received a briefing and 2 NOTAMS for swo: rco changed from 122.3 to 122.4 amd southwest 2200 ft of runway 4-22 closed, which I wrote down. There was no mention of runway 17-35 being closed. After takeoff from rdk, I tried to reach fort dodge radio and no response so again did not open my filed flight plan. I arrived at swo announcing position to CTAF and unicom for landing runway 17 (most favorable with okc ATIS november showing winds of 150/12). I entered a left downwind and noted the X's on the southwest portion 4-22. I announced downwind, base and final. I saw an X off the end of runway 17 in the grass slope before the pavement but nothing on the runway. There were what appeared to be freshly painted markings down the runway, so I presumed with the construction, the airport had a displaced threshold or something like runway 4-22, where an X really didn't mean that whole runway was closed. I aimed for the fresh paint and touched down shortly after it. In the seconds after initial touchdown, I saw what at first looked like a two-toned runway (ie, a lighter strip of asphalt sideways). The shadows clarified and I saw the rough bottom of a concrete cutout approximately 1 foot deep by 20 ft and completely across the runway. I immediately hit full throttle for go around. I thought my nose wheel cleared but both rear wheels hit the far side of the 'pit' and I was airborne. I exited the pattern and while contemplating options, noted the right wheel was chipped and the tire had a puncture. The left tire looked good. I decided not to land at stillwater but opted for hsd (sundance, ok), which is closer to parts and emergency operations, should I elect to declare one. Another factor was the 1/2 hour extra fuel burn to reduce chance of flames should the landing turn uncontrolled. I decided to squawk 7600 en route to hsd. I monitored traffic in pattern at hsd performing touch and goes. I stayed clear till they did a full stop, and also allowed another plane to land in case I 'tied up' the runway. I radioed unicom and could hear other traffic but got no response. I called to other traffic twice and no response. (Traffic later said he heard me and would have responded but was too busy.) I tried to land close to the runway exit as I didn't expect a long roll and slowed as much as I could, preparing for asymmetrical braking. Both wheels wound up being flat so the drag was symmetrical and was a pretty good landing. I taxied clear of active runway 17 and announced same on CTAF.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDS ON CLOSED RWY TO SIGHT DITCH ACROSS RWY. ON ATTEMPTED GAR MAIN GEAR HITS THE DITCH.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS THE FINAL DAY OF A 12 DAY CROSS COUNTRY TRIP FROM SAT (SAN ANTONIO, TX) TO MCI (KANSAS CITY INTL, MO) TO MDW (CHICAGO MIDWAY, IL) TO BRD (BRAINARD, MN) TO A RETURN DEST OF SEP/XX/94. I FILED AN A.M. COMPUTER FLT PLAN FOR BRD-RDK (RED OAK, IA). AFTER TKOF, I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM PRINCETON RADIO SO PRESUMED I WAS HAVING RADIO TROUBLE AND DID NOT GET THE FLT PLAN OPEN. I LANDED AT RDK FOR A FUEL TOP OFF. I ASKED THE UNICOM MAN THAT FUELED THE PLANE IF HE HEARD MY RADIO XMISSIONS. HE SAID HE HAD BUT IT WAS A BIT GARBLED. THE RADIO SEEMED TO WORK OFF/ON, BUT WAS NOT A MAJOR PROB. I PLANNED TO LAND SHORT OF SAT AND CALL THE TWR, REQUESTING ADVANCE SQUAWK CODE IN CASE THE RADIO ACTED UP. I CALLED FORT DODGE FSS (VIA PHONE) AND GOT A WX BRIEFING FOR MY NEXT LEG FOR RDK-SWO (STILLWATER, OK). I RECEIVED A BRIEFING AND 2 NOTAMS FOR SWO: RCO CHANGED FROM 122.3 TO 122.4 AMD SW 2200 FT OF RWY 4-22 CLOSED, WHICH I WROTE DOWN. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF RWY 17-35 BEING CLOSED. AFTER TKOF FROM RDK, I TRIED TO REACH FORT DODGE RADIO AND NO RESPONSE SO AGAIN DID NOT OPEN MY FILED FLT PLAN. I ARRIVED AT SWO ANNOUNCING POS TO CTAF AND UNICOM FOR LNDG RWY 17 (MOST FAVORABLE WITH OKC ATIS NOVEMBER SHOWING WINDS OF 150/12). I ENTERED A L DOWNWIND AND NOTED THE X'S ON THE SW PORTION 4-22. I ANNOUNCED DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL. I SAW AN X OFF THE END OF RWY 17 IN THE GRASS SLOPE BEFORE THE PAVEMENT BUT NOTHING ON THE RWY. THERE WERE WHAT APPEARED TO BE FRESHLY PAINTED MARKINGS DOWN THE RWY, SO I PRESUMED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION, THE ARPT HAD A DISPLACED THRESHOLD OR SOMETHING LIKE RWY 4-22, WHERE AN X REALLY DIDN'T MEAN THAT WHOLE RWY WAS CLOSED. I AIMED FOR THE FRESH PAINT AND TOUCHED DOWN SHORTLY AFTER IT. IN THE SECONDS AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN, I SAW WHAT AT FIRST LOOKED LIKE A TWO-TONED RWY (IE, A LIGHTER STRIP OF ASPHALT SIDEWAYS). THE SHADOWS CLARIFIED AND I SAW THE ROUGH BOTTOM OF A CONCRETE CUTOUT APPROX 1 FOOT DEEP BY 20 FT AND COMPLETELY ACROSS THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY HIT FULL THROTTLE FOR GAR. I THOUGHT MY NOSE WHEEL CLRED BUT BOTH REAR WHEELS HIT THE FAR SIDE OF THE 'PIT' AND I WAS AIRBORNE. I EXITED THE PATTERN AND WHILE CONTEMPLATING OPTIONS, NOTED THE R WHEEL WAS CHIPPED AND THE TIRE HAD A PUNCTURE. THE L TIRE LOOKED GOOD. I DECIDED NOT TO LAND AT STILLWATER BUT OPTED FOR HSD (SUNDANCE, OK), WHICH IS CLOSER TO PARTS AND EMER OPS, SHOULD I ELECT TO DECLARE ONE. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE 1/2 HR EXTRA FUEL BURN TO REDUCE CHANCE OF FLAMES SHOULD THE LNDG TURN UNCTLED. I DECIDED TO SQUAWK 7600 ENRTE TO HSD. I MONITORED TFC IN PATTERN AT HSD PERFORMING TOUCH AND GOES. I STAYED CLR TILL THEY DID A FULL STOP, AND ALSO ALLOWED ANOTHER PLANE TO LAND IN CASE I 'TIED UP' THE RWY. I RADIOED UNICOM AND COULD HEAR OTHER TFC BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I CALLED TO OTHER TFC TWICE AND NO RESPONSE. (TFC LATER SAID HE HEARD ME AND WOULD HAVE RESPONDED BUT WAS TOO BUSY.) I TRIED TO LAND CLOSE TO THE RWY EXIT AS I DIDN'T EXPECT A LONG ROLL AND SLOWED AS MUCH AS I COULD, PREPARING FOR ASYMMETRICAL BRAKING. BOTH WHEELS WOUND UP BEING FLAT SO THE DRAG WAS SYMMETRICAL AND WAS A PRETTY GOOD LNDG. I TAXIED CLR OF ACTIVE RWY 17 AND ANNOUNCED SAME ON CTAF.

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.