Narrative:

I departed ifp bound for poc. Prior to departing, I received a standard WX briefing prescott FSS. The WX was clear in the desert and the WX at ontario was supposed to clear up to greater than 6 mi visibility by XI00Z. During the flight, I received flight following from ZLA. At XB35 hours, I was over the el cajon pass and observed it to be completely overcast. I then canceled flight following and decided to land at hesperia (L26). I did an unfamiliar approach to an uncontrolled field and entered the downwind at a 45 degree angle. I proceeded with my downwind check and descent procedures, continually announcing my position to hesperia traffic. I entered a final approach and I made sure I cleared the power lines I had observed earlier. On final approach I had 30 degrees of flaps because I came in high to clear lines. I then went on to think I was still too high and decided to put in the final 10 degrees of flaps. As I proceeded to land, I got too slow and the aircraft bounced onto the tarmac. I then immediately applied power to correct and/or possibly go around. I knew I had 40 degrees of flaps in. To compound the problem I was slightly off centerline of the runway toward my left and when I bounced it sent onto the dirt that was adjacent to the runway. The dirt was soft, coupled with the fact that I was slow, caused my left side to dip onto the dirt. This caused the left wing to scrape the ground (dirt). I then brought the aircraft to a stop on the taxiway further left of the dirt area. The top portion of the wing at the tip was dented and the aileron was also slightly dented. Further inspection also revealed that tail ring came off. No other damage, no injuries and nothing hit. The primary cause of this incident I allowed the airspeed to get too slow at the end and I bounced. This fact was exacerbated by not maintaining center. I allowed myself to get preoccupied with the narrowness of the runway and its surroundings. A contributing factor might have been that within the preceding 3 weeks I have been flying helicopters in an attempt to get my private helicopter rating, logging 13.4 hours. The approach in a helicopter is much slower. Corrective action, more pattern work, stay on center, watch the airspeed, and probably concentrate on one thing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY DURING LNDG.

Narrative: I DEPARTED IFP BOUND FOR POC. PRIOR TO DEPARTING, I RECEIVED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING PRESCOTT FSS. THE WX WAS CLR IN THE DESERT AND THE WX AT ONTARIO WAS SUPPOSED TO CLR UP TO GREATER THAN 6 MI VISIBILITY BY XI00Z. DURING THE FLT, I RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING FROM ZLA. AT XB35 HRS, I WAS OVER THE EL CAJON PASS AND OBSERVED IT TO BE COMPLETELY OVCST. I THEN CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING AND DECIDED TO LAND AT HESPERIA (L26). I DID AN UNFAMILIAR APCH TO AN UNCTLED FIELD AND ENTERED THE DOWNWIND AT A 45 DEG ANGLE. I PROCEEDED WITH MY DOWNWIND CHK AND DSCNT PROCS, CONTINUALLY ANNOUNCING MY POS TO HESPERIA TFC. I ENTERED A FINAL APCH AND I MADE SURE I CLRED THE PWR LINES I HAD OBSERVED EARLIER. ON FINAL APCH I HAD 30 DEGS OF FLAPS BECAUSE I CAME IN HIGH TO CLR LINES. I THEN WENT ON TO THINK I WAS STILL TOO HIGH AND DECIDED TO PUT IN THE FINAL 10 DEGS OF FLAPS. AS I PROCEEDED TO LAND, I GOT TOO SLOW AND THE ACFT BOUNCED ONTO THE TARMAC. I THEN IMMEDIATELY APPLIED PWR TO CORRECT AND/OR POSSIBLY GO AROUND. I KNEW I HAD 40 DEGS OF FLAPS IN. TO COMPOUND THE PROB I WAS SLIGHTLY OFF CTRLINE OF THE RWY TOWARD MY L AND WHEN I BOUNCED IT SENT ONTO THE DIRT THAT WAS ADJACENT TO THE RWY. THE DIRT WAS SOFT, COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT I WAS SLOW, CAUSED MY L SIDE TO DIP ONTO THE DIRT. THIS CAUSED THE L WING TO SCRAPE THE GND (DIRT). I THEN BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP ON THE TXWY FURTHER L OF THE DIRT AREA. THE TOP PORTION OF THE WING AT THE TIP WAS DENTED AND THE AILERON WAS ALSO SLIGHTLY DENTED. FURTHER INSPECTION ALSO REVEALED THAT TAIL RING CAME OFF. NO OTHER DAMAGE, NO INJURIES AND NOTHING HIT. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT I ALLOWED THE AIRSPD TO GET TOO SLOW AT THE END AND I BOUNCED. THIS FACT WAS EXACERBATED BY NOT MAINTAINING CTR. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO GET PREOCCUPIED WITH THE NARROWNESS OF THE RWY AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAT WITHIN THE PRECEDING 3 WKS I HAVE BEEN FLYING HELIS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET MY PVT HELI RATING, LOGGING 13.4 HRS. THE APCH IN A HELI IS MUCH SLOWER. CORRECTIVE ACTION, MORE PATTERN WORK, STAY ON CTR, WATCH THE AIRSPD, AND PROBABLY CONCENTRATE ON ONE THING.

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.