Narrative:

It had been over a month since my last flight and I decided to fly from my home airport in santa rosa, ca to the smaller O60 airport to practice some touch and goes. I entered the pattern at O60 in right traffic for runway 32. When on final I was at the normal approach speed, the wind was calm and everything felt okay until just after touchdown. I veered to right. I'm not exactly sure what my error was; slightly sideways on touchdown, unequal rudder or brake pressure, but I was unable to correct. I continued to the right and off the runway skidding in the dirt. Luckily, the ground was smooth and after coming to a stop I brought the plane back onto the runway and announced that I was 'taxiing back for takeoff.' I was flustered and shaken and hoped no one had seen. I decided not to try any more touch and goes and just get out of there as quickly as possible. I announced I was taking off runway 32 after a hurried taxi and applied full power. I did not look at my checklist as I always do. At takeoff speed I began to rotate but the plane did not seem to respond. My attention diverted, I again drifted to the right. Nearing the end of the runway with airspeed still climbing I hit the brakes hard and skidded to the left and off the runway. I went down, then up and over a rise, nicking the propeller in the dirt and finally coming to a stop almost 200 ft from the end of the runway. One of the tires was flat and the nose wheel shroud was cracked. The tail sustained some light scratches as well and the plane went in for repairs. The first problem to be addressed will be my directional control on takeoff and landing. I will fly with an instructor and go over the basics before any other flts are conducted. Not having flown in over a month could have been a contributing factor. I will stay more current, fly at least once a week and remain in the training environment. Most disturbing to me was my actions after the near crash landing. Instead of taking a breath and following normal procedure I was worried what others would think if they had seen and tried to flee the area as quickly as possible. I made a bad situation worse. Upon inspection of the plane the trim was found to be in an extreme nose low position. This could've been the reason the plane did not seem to respond on takeoff. Had I stopped and used my checklist I probably would've taken off normally and not turned a bad situation into a disaster. I cannot be concerned with what others think. I must be only concerned with the safe and proper operation of my aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT, WHILE LNDG AT CLOVERDALE, CA (O60), EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. EMBARRASSED AND ASSUMING THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY, THE RPTR HASTILY ATTEMPTED A TKOF, THIS TIME SKIDDING OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY.

Narrative: IT HAD BEEN OVER A MONTH SINCE MY LAST FLT AND I DECIDED TO FLY FROM MY HOME ARPT IN SANTA ROSA, CA TO THE SMALLER O60 ARPT TO PRACTICE SOME TOUCH AND GOES. I ENTERED THE PATTERN AT O60 IN RIGHT TFC FOR RWY 32. WHEN ON FINAL I WAS AT THE NORMAL APCH SPEED, THE WIND WAS CALM AND EVERYTHING FELT OKAY UNTIL JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN. I VEERED TO RIGHT. I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT MY ERROR WAS; SLIGHTLY SIDEWAYS ON TOUCHDOWN, UNEQUAL RUDDER OR BRAKE PRESSURE, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT. I CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AND OFF THE RWY SKIDDING IN THE DIRT. LUCKILY, THE GND WAS SMOOTH AND AFTER COMING TO A STOP I BROUGHT THE PLANE BACK ONTO THE RWY AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS 'TAXIING BACK FOR TKOF.' I WAS FLUSTERED AND SHAKEN AND HOPED NO ONE HAD SEEN. I DECIDED NOT TO TRY ANY MORE TOUCH AND GOES AND JUST GET OUT OF THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I ANNOUNCED I WAS TAKING OFF RWY 32 AFTER A HURRIED TAXI AND APPLIED FULL PWR. I DID NOT LOOK AT MY CHECKLIST AS I ALWAYS DO. AT TKOF SPEED I BEGAN TO ROTATE BUT THE PLANE DID NOT SEEM TO RESPOND. MY ATTENTION DIVERTED, I AGAIN DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. NEARING THE END OF THE RWY WITH AIRSPEED STILL CLIMBING I HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND SKIDDED TO THE LEFT AND OFF THE RWY. I WENT DOWN, THEN UP AND OVER A RISE, NICKING THE PROPELLER IN THE DIRT AND FINALLY COMING TO A STOP ALMOST 200 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY. ONE OF THE TIRES WAS FLAT AND THE NOSE WHEEL SHROUD WAS CRACKED. THE TAIL SUSTAINED SOME LIGHT SCRATCHES AS WELL AND THE PLANE WENT IN FOR REPAIRS. THE FIRST PROB TO BE ADDRESSED WILL BE MY DIRECTIONAL CTL ON TKOF AND LANDING. I WILL FLY WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND GO OVER THE BASICS BEFORE ANY OTHER FLTS ARE CONDUCTED. NOT HAVING FLOWN IN OVER A MONTH COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. I WILL STAY MORE CURRENT, FLY AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK AND REMAIN IN THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. MOST DISTURBING TO ME WAS MY ACTIONS AFTER THE NEAR CRASH LANDING. INSTEAD OF TAKING A BREATH AND FOLLOWING NORMAL PROC I WAS WORRIED WHAT OTHERS WOULD THINK IF THEY HAD SEEN AND TRIED TO FLEE THE AREA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I MADE A BAD SIT WORSE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE PLANE THE TRIM WAS FOUND TO BE IN AN EXTREME NOSE LOW POS. THIS COULD'VE BEEN THE REASON THE PLANE DID NOT SEEM TO RESPOND ON TKOF. HAD I STOPPED AND USED MY CHECKLIST I PROBABLY WOULD'VE TAKEN OFF NORMALLY AND NOT TURNED A BAD SIT INTO A DISASTER. I CANNOT BE CONCERNED WITH WHAT OTHERS THINK. I MUST BE ONLY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFE AND PROPER OPERATION OF MY ACFT.

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.