Narrative:

I notified tower of my position, and tower again gave me clearance to land on runway 22 and reported winds at 140 degrees at 14 KTS. Upon receipt of that transmission, I repeated the wind conditions back to springfield tower, and they in turn repeated winds at 140 degrees at 14 KTS. As I brought the airplane down to the runway, I intentionally flew a slightly higher than normal approach in order to increase approach speed by 5-7 KTS. Due to wind conditions, I knew that once in my round out, the airplane would bleed off airspeed at a higher than normal rate. Leveling out the airplane at about 15 ft off the ground, I used left rudder to keep my aircraft centered on the runway centerline. While in the flare, I took great caution to maintain that my left wheel touched down first, the whole time keeping my aircraft centered on the runway. As my left wheel touched the ground, I maintained my center position on the runway, and was anticipating my right wheel to touch the ground at any second. I say anticipating, because I knew that once both wheels were on the ground, I was going to have to immediately apply full aileron deflection to left, in order to keep the wind from blowing or flipping my aircraft across the runway. However, while awaiting the touchdown of my right wheel, which was only going to be a matter of seconds, my aircraft experienced a strong gust of wind from the left rear side. Immediately, my aircraft became 20-30 degrees off runway center and now both main gear wheels were on the ground. I quickly glanced down at the airspeed indicator and noticed that my IAS was between 65 and 70 KTS. At that particular point in time, I knew I had 2 decisions to make. I could apply full power and attempt a takeoff at an extremely bad attitude, or I could apply right rudder and brakes and try to keep the aircraft on the runway. I immediately realized that to apply full power would push a bad position, and my aircraft was already behind the power curve. That is why I decided to step on the right rudder and apply the brakes in order to keep my aircraft on the runway. At this point though, my aircraft was at angle too far off center (20-30 degrees), so I tried to stay on the runway as long as I could. Inevitably, I was unable to stay on the runway and therefore I had no choice but to exit the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A C172 LOST CTL OF HIS ACFT IN A GUSTY XWIND DURING LNDG AND WENT OFF THE RWY. NO RPTED DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: I NOTIFIED TWR OF MY POS, AND TWR AGAIN GAVE ME CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 22 AND RPTED WINDS AT 140 DEGS AT 14 KTS. UPON RECEIPT OF THAT XMISSION, I REPEATED THE WIND CONDITIONS BACK TO SPRINGFIELD TWR, AND THEY IN TURN REPEATED WINDS AT 140 DEGS AT 14 KTS. AS I BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE DOWN TO THE RWY, I INTENTIONALLY FLEW A SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL APCH IN ORDER TO INCREASE APCH SPD BY 5-7 KTS. DUE TO WIND CONDITIONS, I KNEW THAT ONCE IN MY ROUND OUT, THE AIRPLANE WOULD BLEED OFF AIRSPD AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE. LEVELING OUT THE AIRPLANE AT ABOUT 15 FT OFF THE GND, I USED L RUDDER TO KEEP MY ACFT CTRED ON THE RWY CTRLINE. WHILE IN THE FLARE, I TOOK GREAT CAUTION TO MAINTAIN THAT MY L WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN FIRST, THE WHOLE TIME KEEPING MY ACFT CTRED ON THE RWY. AS MY L WHEEL TOUCHED THE GND, I MAINTAINED MY CTR POS ON THE RWY, AND WAS ANTICIPATING MY R WHEEL TO TOUCH THE GND AT ANY SECOND. I SAY ANTICIPATING, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT ONCE BOTH WHEELS WERE ON THE GND, I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY APPLY FULL AILERON DEFLECTION TO L, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE WIND FROM BLOWING OR FLIPPING MY ACFT ACROSS THE RWY. HOWEVER, WHILE AWAITING THE TOUCHDOWN OF MY R WHEEL, WHICH WAS ONLY GOING TO BE A MATTER OF SECONDS, MY ACFT EXPERIENCED A STRONG GUST OF WIND FROM THE L REAR SIDE. IMMEDIATELY, MY ACFT BECAME 20-30 DEGS OFF RWY CTR AND NOW BOTH MAIN GEAR WHEELS WERE ON THE GND. I QUICKLY GLANCED DOWN AT THE AIRSPD INDICATOR AND NOTICED THAT MY IAS WAS BTWN 65 AND 70 KTS. AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, I KNEW I HAD 2 DECISIONS TO MAKE. I COULD APPLY FULL PWR AND ATTEMPT A TKOF AT AN EXTREMELY BAD ATTITUDE, OR I COULD APPLY R RUDDER AND BRAKES AND TRY TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT TO APPLY FULL PWR WOULD PUSH A BAD POS, AND MY ACFT WAS ALREADY BEHIND THE PWR CURVE. THAT IS WHY I DECIDED TO STEP ON THE R RUDDER AND APPLY THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO KEEP MY ACFT ON THE RWY. AT THIS POINT THOUGH, MY ACFT WAS AT ANGLE TOO FAR OFF CTR (20-30 DEGS), SO I TRIED TO STAY ON THE RWY AS LONG AS I COULD. INEVITABLY, I WAS UNABLE TO STAY ON THE RWY AND THEREFORE I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO EXIT THE RWY.

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.