Narrative:

My flying program includes recurrent training in different aspects of flight. On this occasion, I was maintaining currency in soft-field lndgs and takeoffs from public and private airfields. The airfields I had selected were those I knew well, and in the case of private fields, had been invited to use. I flew from plattsburg (clinton county) to shelburne, and proceeded to west addison. I was unable to get anyone at west addison to respond to radio communication attempts. So I carefully surveyed the landing strip twice from the air, flying low along its entire length -- one pass to the north and the other to the south. I observed another plane near the strip, the wind sock, and many people. I executed a soft-field landing, and landed normally. The runway was much longer than what I needed for landing, and as I continued to taxi along the runway to a point at which I could exit, the nosewheel caught in a muddy hole and dropped. I quickly cut the ignition, master, and exited the plane, then, a moment later, returned and cut fuel. What I did wrong: I have been advised by various instructors that it is wise to call every time before landing in a private field, even if I know it well and have the owner's permission to land. In the future, I intend to restrict my soft-field practice to public soft fields (like the turf strip at dutchess county airport-pou, or perhaps shelburne, which is well maintained and widely used). A more important lesson is that, although I felt I followed procedures properly, and surveyed the field adequately, and had all the indicators to show the field was in active use (a plane nearby, a crowd of people, a windsock), and despite the fact the field looked good from 2 passes along its entire length -- none of this good information could make the field solid along its entire length.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY CONDITION SURFACE ROUGHNESS -- PLT LANDS ON A PVT ARPT WITH SOD RWY AND WHILE TAXING ALONG THE RWY HIS NOSE GEAR GOES INTO A HOLE AND THE ACFT IS DAMAGED.

Narrative: MY FLYING PROGRAM INCLUDES RECURRENT TRAINING IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF FLT. ON THIS OCCASION, I WAS MAINTAINING CURRENCY IN SOFT-FIELD LNDGS AND TKOFS FROM PUBLIC AND PVT AIRFIELDS. THE AIRFIELDS I HAD SELECTED WERE THOSE I KNEW WELL, AND IN THE CASE OF PVT FIELDS, HAD BEEN INVITED TO USE. I FLEW FROM PLATTSBURG (CLINTON COUNTY) TO SHELBURNE, AND PROCEEDED TO WEST ADDISON. I WAS UNABLE TO GET ANYONE AT WEST ADDISON TO RESPOND TO RADIO COM ATTEMPTS. SO I CAREFULLY SURVEYED THE LNDG STRIP TWICE FROM THE AIR, FLYING LOW ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH -- ONE PASS TO THE N AND THE OTHER TO THE S. I OBSERVED ANOTHER PLANE NEAR THE STRIP, THE WIND SOCK, AND MANY PEOPLE. I EXECUTED A SOFT-FIELD LNDG, AND LANDED NORMALLY. THE RWY WAS MUCH LONGER THAN WHAT I NEEDED FOR LNDG, AND AS I CONTINUED TO TAXI ALONG THE RWY TO A POINT AT WHICH I COULD EXIT, THE NOSEWHEEL CAUGHT IN A MUDDY HOLE AND DROPPED. I QUICKLY CUT THE IGNITION, MASTER, AND EXITED THE PLANE, THEN, A MOMENT LATER, RETURNED AND CUT FUEL. WHAT I DID WRONG: I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY VARIOUS INSTRUCTORS THAT IT IS WISE TO CALL EVERY TIME BEFORE LNDG IN A PVT FIELD, EVEN IF I KNOW IT WELL AND HAVE THE OWNER'S PERMISSION TO LAND. IN THE FUTURE, I INTEND TO RESTRICT MY SOFT-FIELD PRACTICE TO PUBLIC SOFT FIELDS (LIKE THE TURF STRIP AT DUTCHESS COUNTY ARPT-POU, OR PERHAPS SHELBURNE, WHICH IS WELL MAINTAINED AND WIDELY USED). A MORE IMPORTANT LESSON IS THAT, ALTHOUGH I FELT I FOLLOWED PROCS PROPERLY, AND SURVEYED THE FIELD ADEQUATELY, AND HAD ALL THE INDICATORS TO SHOW THE FIELD WAS IN ACTIVE USE (A PLANE NEARBY, A CROWD OF PEOPLE, A WINDSOCK), AND DESPITE THE FACT THE FIELD LOOKED GOOD FROM 2 PASSES ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH -- NONE OF THIS GOOD INFO COULD MAKE THE FIELD SOLID ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH.

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.