Narrative:

While I was on final on runway 18 I had a quartering headwind from 230 degrees. I was keeping the necessary correction for the wind drift and I touched the centerline of the runway at 90 KIAS. The aircraft (a piper lance) bounced and touched the second time on the left part of the runway. While I was keeping the right aileron into the wind. The plane bounced again and I realized that we were drifting further to the left. I applied full power and I initiated a go around. It took a second or 2 for the engine to increase its power and, at that moment, the aircraft hit the taxiway sign left of the runway with the left main gear. The aircraft continued flying, but the upper surface of the left wing was not smooth because of the impact. We climbed to 1000 ft MSL and made 2 circles above the airport ramp for the maintenance people of the FBO to see the damaged gear. (I had no indication of down and locked left gear light.) they told me that the gear was just hanging there, not in the proper way. I declared an emergency and decided to land on the grass strip to the left of runway 18. I performed the emergency landing and the airplane stopped near the ramp. We evacuate/evacuationed the airplane. No one of my 4 passenger was injured. I feel that I should have gone around sooner when I recognized the drift. I had no indication of a strong crosswind. The airport windsock was not up all the way. I estimated the wind at 8-10 KTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE L LNDG GEAR WAS DAMAGED WHEN AN SMA HIT A SIGN ON GAR.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS ON FINAL ON RWY 18 I HAD A QUARTERING HEADWIND FROM 230 DEGS. I WAS KEEPING THE NECESSARY CORRECTION FOR THE WIND DRIFT AND I TOUCHED THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY AT 90 KIAS. THE ACFT (A PIPER LANCE) BOUNCED AND TOUCHED THE SECOND TIME ON THE L PART OF THE RWY. WHILE I WAS KEEPING THE R AILERON INTO THE WIND. THE PLANE BOUNCED AGAIN AND I REALIZED THAT WE WERE DRIFTING FURTHER TO THE L. I APPLIED FULL PWR AND I INITIATED A GAR. IT TOOK A SECOND OR 2 FOR THE ENG TO INCREASE ITS PWR AND, AT THAT MOMENT, THE ACFT HIT THE TXWY SIGN L OF THE RWY WITH THE L MAIN GEAR. THE ACFT CONTINUED FLYING, BUT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE L WING WAS NOT SMOOTH BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT. WE CLBED TO 1000 FT MSL AND MADE 2 CIRCLES ABOVE THE ARPT RAMP FOR THE MAINT PEOPLE OF THE FBO TO SEE THE DAMAGED GEAR. (I HAD NO INDICATION OF DOWN AND LOCKED L GEAR LIGHT.) THEY TOLD ME THAT THE GEAR WAS JUST HANGING THERE, NOT IN THE PROPER WAY. I DECLARED AN EMER AND DECIDED TO LAND ON THE GRASS STRIP TO THE L OF RWY 18. I PERFORMED THE EMER LNDG AND THE AIRPLANE STOPPED NEAR THE RAMP. WE EVACED THE AIRPLANE. NO ONE OF MY 4 PAX WAS INJURED. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND SOONER WHEN I RECOGNIZED THE DRIFT. I HAD NO INDICATION OF A STRONG XWIND. THE ARPT WINDSOCK WAS NOT UP ALL THE WAY. I ESTIMATED THE WIND AT 8-10 KTS.

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.