Narrative:

Conditions in-flight were visibility 15 mi, ceiling 20000 ft AGL. During progress across the chesapeake bay, I had anticipated my arrival in chesterfield within the 1 hour limitation for dusk landing. I was not current at night. Based on progress in-flight, I anticipated an arrival of approximately XA50 (prior to sunset). Approximately 10 mi to the northeast of fci, I contacted ric and was asked to squawk VFR 1200 on the transponder to set up for landing at fci with minimal traffic. Verifying wind at 040 degrees at 3 KTS and verifying with unicom at chesterfield on active runway, it was noted that 15 was the current active with minimal traffic. The sun had set approximately 10 mins prior to arriving in pattern altitude, visibility was +/-7 mi. On downwind, abeam the numbers, I slowed the aircraft to 85 KTS and put 10 degrees of flaps in. I extended the downwind in order to not lose too much altitude and kept the aircraft at approximately 1000 ft. Making a long extended final, I realized that I was a little high and speed was a little high for final approach of 85 KTS. I decided that with the length of fci, I would land approximately 1500 ft down the runway and be safe rather than land short. Landing lights were on, pulse lights were on over the final 40 mins of flight, and speed was reduced on final to approximately 75 KTS with 30 degrees of flaps. I flared the aircraft at approximately 10 ft AGL. Ground effect wanted me to stay in the air, but I let this airspeed reduce naturally by pulling back on the yoke. Ground roll initiated at approximately 2000 ft onto runway 15, exact speed roughly 55-60 KTS. In order to not brake hard, I pulled back on the yoke to increase the angle of attack. I then lowered the nose and applied brakes at which time the aircraft seemed to veer left which I corrected by applying right brake to correct the centerline of runway. After correction, the aircraft tended to torque and then turn again to the left. I realized that we were moving to the left side of the runway at which time the left brake either locked or my intuition locked the brake to cause skidding. This initial reaction is hard for me to remember, specifically, which situation occurred first. The aircraft veered left and I realized that the taxiway east sign was in my path. I corrected the direction of the aircraft to the left as best possible at that late juncture. We struck the echo sign with the right wing support and wheel fairing coming to rest 25 ft past the damaged sign. I shut down the aircraft immediately and checked the aircraft for damage. Although I saw cosmetic damage on the right side of the aircraft, I did not see any structural damage. I started up the aircraft ensuring my passenger was safe and unhurt and taxied to the FBO hangar where 3 mechanics were closing down the airport hangar, ready to go home. Upon evaluation by aircraft mechanics and staff, all damage to aircraft was cosmetic only.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME C172 PVT PLT LOSES CTL OF HIS ACFT DURING A NON QUALIFIED NIGHT LNDG AND HITS A TXWY SIGN AT FCI, VA.

Narrative: CONDITIONS INFLT WERE VISIBILITY 15 MI, CEILING 20000 FT AGL. DURING PROGRESS ACROSS THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, I HAD ANTICIPATED MY ARR IN CHESTERFIELD WITHIN THE 1 HR LIMITATION FOR DUSK LNDG. I WAS NOT CURRENT AT NIGHT. BASED ON PROGRESS INFLT, I ANTICIPATED AN ARR OF APPROX XA50 (PRIOR TO SUNSET). APPROX 10 MI TO THE NE OF FCI, I CONTACTED RIC AND WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK VFR 1200 ON THE XPONDER TO SET UP FOR LNDG AT FCI WITH MINIMAL TFC. VERIFYING WIND AT 040 DEGS AT 3 KTS AND VERIFYING WITH UNICOM AT CHESTERFIELD ON ACTIVE RWY, IT WAS NOTED THAT 15 WAS THE CURRENT ACTIVE WITH MINIMAL TFC. THE SUN HAD SET APPROX 10 MINS PRIOR TO ARRIVING IN PATTERN ALT, VISIBILITY WAS +/-7 MI. ON DOWNWIND, ABEAM THE NUMBERS, I SLOWED THE ACFT TO 85 KTS AND PUT 10 DEGS OF FLAPS IN. I EXTENDED THE DOWNWIND IN ORDER TO NOT LOSE TOO MUCH ALT AND KEPT THE ACFT AT APPROX 1000 FT. MAKING A LONG EXTENDED FINAL, I REALIZED THAT I WAS A LITTLE HIGH AND SPD WAS A LITTLE HIGH FOR FINAL APCH OF 85 KTS. I DECIDED THAT WITH THE LENGTH OF FCI, I WOULD LAND APPROX 1500 FT DOWN THE RWY AND BE SAFE RATHER THAN LAND SHORT. LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON, PULSE LIGHTS WERE ON OVER THE FINAL 40 MINS OF FLT, AND SPD WAS REDUCED ON FINAL TO APPROX 75 KTS WITH 30 DEGS OF FLAPS. I FLARED THE ACFT AT APPROX 10 FT AGL. GND EFFECT WANTED ME TO STAY IN THE AIR, BUT I LET THIS AIRSPD REDUCE NATURALLY BY PULLING BACK ON THE YOKE. GND ROLL INITIATED AT APPROX 2000 FT ONTO RWY 15, EXACT SPD ROUGHLY 55-60 KTS. IN ORDER TO NOT BRAKE HARD, I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO INCREASE THE ANGLE OF ATTACK. I THEN LOWERED THE NOSE AND APPLIED BRAKES AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT SEEMED TO VEER L WHICH I CORRECTED BY APPLYING R BRAKE TO CORRECT THE CTRLINE OF RWY. AFTER CORRECTION, THE ACFT TENDED TO TORQUE AND THEN TURN AGAIN TO THE L. I REALIZED THAT WE WERE MOVING TO THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AT WHICH TIME THE L BRAKE EITHER LOCKED OR MY INTUITION LOCKED THE BRAKE TO CAUSE SKIDDING. THIS INITIAL REACTION IS HARD FOR ME TO REMEMBER, SPECIFICALLY, WHICH SIT OCCURRED FIRST. THE ACFT VEERED L AND I REALIZED THAT THE TXWY E SIGN WAS IN MY PATH. I CORRECTED THE DIRECTION OF THE ACFT TO THE L AS BEST POSSIBLE AT THAT LATE JUNCTURE. WE STRUCK THE ECHO SIGN WITH THE R WING SUPPORT AND WHEEL FAIRING COMING TO REST 25 FT PAST THE DAMAGED SIGN. I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AND CHKED THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE. ALTHOUGH I SAW COSMETIC DAMAGE ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT, I DID NOT SEE ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. I STARTED UP THE ACFT ENSURING MY PAX WAS SAFE AND UNHURT AND TAXIED TO THE FBO HANGAR WHERE 3 MECHS WERE CLOSING DOWN THE ARPT HANGAR, READY TO GO HOME. UPON EVALUATION BY ACFT MECHS AND STAFF, ALL DAMAGE TO ACFT WAS COSMETIC ONLY.

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.