Narrative:

While landing at sugar land airport; I started my round-out and at about 65 KTS with full flaps; I was too high; about 3 ft above the runway. The stall horn was on and added a little power to keep the plane from dropping at the same time I started adding left rudder to correct for a crosswind of 6 KTS. At that time the aircraft landed hard on the mains. The aircraft bounced once and started moving to the left of center. As the nose touched I still had the left rudder in. The aircraft pulled hard to the left; heading off the runway. To keep from ground-looping the plane; I headed off the runway as smooth as I could and I applied the brakes. I was coming up on a landing light; so I added some power and rear pressure on the controls to raise the nose to avoid contacting the propeller and nose gear. After clearing the light; we stopped under control about 4 ft off the runway. The tower called and told us to hold. We could have got underway on our own power; but the tower wanted to have us towed back to the parking area. We inspected the aircraft for damage and found none. The aircraft was returned to service that day. After replaying the landing in my mind; I feel that the problem could have been avoided if simply after the mains touched; relaxed pressure on the rudder pedals; thus letting the aircraft straighten the nosewheel on its own.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ABOARD C172 LOSE ACFT CTL ON LNDG. RWY EXCURSION RESULTS WITH NO DAMAGE.

Narrative: WHILE LNDG AT SUGAR LAND ARPT; I STARTED MY ROUND-OUT AND AT ABOUT 65 KTS WITH FULL FLAPS; I WAS TOO HIGH; ABOUT 3 FT ABOVE THE RWY. THE STALL HORN WAS ON AND ADDED A LITTLE PWR TO KEEP THE PLANE FROM DROPPING AT THE SAME TIME I STARTED ADDING L RUDDER TO CORRECT FOR A XWIND OF 6 KTS. AT THAT TIME THE ACFT LANDED HARD ON THE MAINS. THE ACFT BOUNCED ONCE AND STARTED MOVING TO THE L OF CTR. AS THE NOSE TOUCHED I STILL HAD THE L RUDDER IN. THE ACFT PULLED HARD TO THE L; HEADING OFF THE RWY. TO KEEP FROM GND-LOOPING THE PLANE; I HEADED OFF THE RWY AS SMOOTH AS I COULD AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I WAS COMING UP ON A LNDG LIGHT; SO I ADDED SOME PWR AND REAR PRESSURE ON THE CTLS TO RAISE THE NOSE TO AVOID CONTACTING THE PROP AND NOSE GEAR. AFTER CLRING THE LIGHT; WE STOPPED UNDER CTL ABOUT 4 FT OFF THE RWY. THE TWR CALLED AND TOLD US TO HOLD. WE COULD HAVE GOT UNDERWAY ON OUR OWN PWR; BUT THE TWR WANTED TO HAVE US TOWED BACK TO THE PARKING AREA. WE INSPECTED THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE AND FOUND NONE. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC THAT DAY. AFTER REPLAYING THE LNDG IN MY MIND; I FEEL THAT THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF SIMPLY AFTER THE MAINS TOUCHED; RELAXED PRESSURE ON THE RUDDER PEDALS; THUS LETTING THE ACFT STRAIGHTEN THE NOSEWHEEL ON ITS OWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.