Narrative:

I was flying an orientation flight from fcm to syn, VFR. I made all my traffic calls for runway 27 as I approached from the northwest including 10 NM, 5 NM, overflying the airport, circling to enter downwind, downwind, base and final, and concluding every transmission with the statement 'any traffic in the area please advise.' my aircraft was lit up with its landing, running, strobes, and navigation lights on. While on short final for runway 27, I received a call on 122.8 CTAF stating 'aircraft landing at stanton, do you see the ultralight who departed on runway 36 and is turning right towards you!' I didn't see the traffic at first, but in seconds, I saw a dark colored ultralight appear over the runway from a darkly colored plowed field just to the north of runway 27. He was aimed right at me. The ultralight was pitched up quite high, no running lights. I'm not sure he even saw me -- climbing quickly in my direction. I quickly made the decision to descend due to my confign and TAS (full flaps, and 60-65 KTS, descending at 500 FPM). I pulled the throttle out and pushed the nose down to quickly descend to the runway below. We missed by less than 50 ft, the ultralight climbing over the top of us. On my landing, due to the dramatic nose down pitch, my TAS increased. My flare slowed me down to the point of touchdown, after a slight ride in ground effect. I believe my touchdown was approximately 400-500 ft down the runway (runway total length 1950 ft). When I touched down, I could not slow the airplane down on the dry grass runway, and I applied full brakes, which eventually locked up. The aircraft finally slowed down, but at the end of the runway, ran off by a few ft (less than 5 ft) while trying to turn around. The airplane was stuck in the dirt and I had to have some help pushing it out. After getting the airplane unstuck, I checked over the aircraft for any damage. The aircraft had a small nick on the propeller (most probably from a rock), but nothing I believed would make the aircraft unairworthy. I flew the aircraft back to fcm. I then called my flight release officer to notify him of what had transpired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT CAME WITHIN 50 FT OF HITTING AN ULTRALIGHT AT SYN.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN ORIENTATION FLT FROM FCM TO SYN, VFR. I MADE ALL MY TFC CALLS FOR RWY 27 AS I APCHED FROM THE NW INCLUDING 10 NM, 5 NM, OVERFLYING THE ARPT, CIRCLING TO ENTER DOWNWIND, DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL, AND CONCLUDING EVERY XMISSION WITH THE STATEMENT 'ANY TFC IN THE AREA PLEASE ADVISE.' MY ACFT WAS LIT UP WITH ITS LNDG, RUNNING, STROBES, AND NAV LIGHTS ON. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 27, I RECEIVED A CALL ON 122.8 CTAF STATING 'ACFT LNDG AT STANTON, DO YOU SEE THE ULTRALIGHT WHO DEPARTED ON RWY 36 AND IS TURNING RIGHT TOWARDS YOU!' I DIDN'T SEE THE TFC AT FIRST, BUT IN SECONDS, I SAW A DARK COLORED ULTRALIGHT APPEAR OVER THE RWY FROM A DARKLY COLORED PLOWED FIELD JUST TO THE N OF RWY 27. HE WAS AIMED RIGHT AT ME. THE ULTRALIGHT WAS PITCHED UP QUITE HIGH, NO RUNNING LIGHTS. I'M NOT SURE HE EVEN SAW ME -- CLBING QUICKLY IN MY DIRECTION. I QUICKLY MADE THE DECISION TO DSND DUE TO MY CONFIGN AND TAS (FULL FLAPS, AND 60-65 KTS, DSNDING AT 500 FPM). I PULLED THE THROTTLE OUT AND PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN TO QUICKLY DSND TO THE RWY BELOW. WE MISSED BY LESS THAN 50 FT, THE ULTRALIGHT CLBING OVER THE TOP OF US. ON MY LNDG, DUE TO THE DRAMATIC NOSE DOWN PITCH, MY TAS INCREASED. MY FLARE SLOWED ME DOWN TO THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN, AFTER A SLIGHT RIDE IN GND EFFECT. I BELIEVE MY TOUCHDOWN WAS APPROX 400-500 FT DOWN THE RWY (RWY TOTAL LENGTH 1950 FT). WHEN I TOUCHED DOWN, I COULD NOT SLOW THE AIRPLANE DOWN ON THE DRY GRASS RWY, AND I APPLIED FULL BRAKES, WHICH EVENTUALLY LOCKED UP. THE ACFT FINALLY SLOWED DOWN, BUT AT THE END OF THE RWY, RAN OFF BY A FEW FT (LESS THAN 5 FT) WHILE TRYING TO TURN AROUND. THE AIRPLANE WAS STUCK IN THE DIRT AND I HAD TO HAVE SOME HELP PUSHING IT OUT. AFTER GETTING THE AIRPLANE UNSTUCK, I CHKED OVER THE ACFT FOR ANY DAMAGE. THE ACFT HAD A SMALL NICK ON THE PROP (MOST PROBABLY FROM A ROCK), BUT NOTHING I BELIEVED WOULD MAKE THE ACFT UNAIRWORTHY. I FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO FCM. I THEN CALLED MY FLT RELEASE OFFICER TO NOTIFY HIM OF WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED.

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.