Narrative:

On dec/wed/03, I was returning from a pleasure flight with 2 passenger. As we neared airport, I tuned ATIS and received the WX and runway information. Airport was landing runway 19L&right. I called the tower and was given instructions to enter a 3 mi base for runway 19L. Runway 19L is the shorter of the 2 runways, at approximately 2700 ft. As I turned base to a 1 mi final, I realized that I was high on the descent path. I reduced power to idle and put in full flaps. Our descent steepened. However, as we crossed the threshold of runway 19L, I realized we were not going to have enough length to effect a safe landing. I informed the tower that I was going around and was given left closed traffic. I applied full power and climbed to pattern altitude and flew left traffic. As we turned final, I realized that we were again a little above the desired descent path. I initiated a full forward slip and was able to quickly regain the proper altitude. As I took the plane out of the slip, we gained about 15 KTS, putting our speed at about 85-90 KTS. I immediately put in full flaps and we quickly descended to the runway. As I flared the plane, we picked up some altitude, so I reduced the pitch of the flare. We continued floating about 2 ft off the runway for a few seconds. There was not enough runway left for a successful go around, so when we touched down, I applied full braking power. We skidded down the runway and off the departure end into the grass by about 100 ft, where we came to rest in some mud. There was no damage to the plane, aside from the main tires being worn. No one was hurt. Airport's fire department was able to tow the plane from the grass successfully. I believe the cause of the failed landing was airspeed and altitude. Both approachs I realized were too high and took measures to correct. On the second approach, I should have also gone around when I saw that the plane was floating because of the excessive airspeed. The forward slip was very effective for reducing altitude, but as soon as I pulled out of it, the plane picked up unwanted speed. I also should have flown a longer downwind so that I would have had a longer final approach to make the necessary corrections to any deviations in altitude and airspeed safely. Finally, I should have also asked for runway 19R (considerably longer) when I realized that I was having difficulty landing on the shorter of the 2 runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT HAS AN UNSTABILIZED APCH RESULTING IN THE ACFT RUNNING OFF THE END OF THE RWY INTO MUD.

Narrative: ON DEC/WED/03, I WAS RETURNING FROM A PLEASURE FLT WITH 2 PAX. AS WE NEARED ARPT, I TUNED ATIS AND RECEIVED THE WX AND RWY INFO. ARPT WAS LNDG RWY 19L&R. I CALLED THE TWR AND WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER A 3 MI BASE FOR RWY 19L. RWY 19L IS THE SHORTER OF THE 2 RWYS, AT APPROX 2700 FT. AS I TURNED BASE TO A 1 MI FINAL, I REALIZED THAT I WAS HIGH ON THE DSCNT PATH. I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND PUT IN FULL FLAPS. OUR DSCNT STEEPENED. HOWEVER, AS WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 19L, I REALIZED WE WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH LENGTH TO EFFECT A SAFE LNDG. I INFORMED THE TWR THAT I WAS GOING AROUND AND WAS GIVEN L CLOSED TFC. I APPLIED FULL PWR AND CLBED TO PATTERN ALT AND FLEW L TFC. AS WE TURNED FINAL, I REALIZED THAT WE WERE AGAIN A LITTLE ABOVE THE DESIRED DSCNT PATH. I INITIATED A FULL FORWARD SLIP AND WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY REGAIN THE PROPER ALT. AS I TOOK THE PLANE OUT OF THE SLIP, WE GAINED ABOUT 15 KTS, PUTTING OUR SPD AT ABOUT 85-90 KTS. I IMMEDIATELY PUT IN FULL FLAPS AND WE QUICKLY DSNDED TO THE RWY. AS I FLARED THE PLANE, WE PICKED UP SOME ALT, SO I REDUCED THE PITCH OF THE FLARE. WE CONTINUED FLOATING ABOUT 2 FT OFF THE RWY FOR A FEW SECONDS. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RWY LEFT FOR A SUCCESSFUL GAR, SO WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN, I APPLIED FULL BRAKING PWR. WE SKIDDED DOWN THE RWY AND OFF THE DEP END INTO THE GRASS BY ABOUT 100 FT, WHERE WE CAME TO REST IN SOME MUD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE, ASIDE FROM THE MAIN TIRES BEING WORN. NO ONE WAS HURT. ARPT'S FIRE DEPT WAS ABLE TO TOW THE PLANE FROM THE GRASS SUCCESSFULLY. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILED LNDG WAS AIRSPD AND ALT. BOTH APCHS I REALIZED WERE TOO HIGH AND TOOK MEASURES TO CORRECT. ON THE SECOND APCH, I SHOULD HAVE ALSO GONE AROUND WHEN I SAW THAT THE PLANE WAS FLOATING BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE AIRSPD. THE FORWARD SLIP WAS VERY EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING ALT, BUT AS SOON AS I PULLED OUT OF IT, THE PLANE PICKED UP UNWANTED SPD. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE FLOWN A LONGER DOWNWIND SO THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD A LONGER FINAL APCH TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS TO ANY DEVS IN ALT AND AIRSPD SAFELY. FINALLY, I SHOULD HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR RWY 19R (CONSIDERABLY LONGER) WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY LNDG ON THE SHORTER OF THE 2 RWYS.

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.