Narrative:

While nearing 15 mi inbound to the non-twred landing airport; I tuned in the co-located ASOS station to obtain the automated local WX. ASOS reported winds 240 degrees at 14 KTS; sky clear below 12000 ft; barometric pressure 29.87. I was flying a heading of 192 degrees with the garmin G1000 indicating a right quartering headwind of 21 KTS at 3500 ft; which had been consistent during the 1 hour flight. As the landing airport runway headings were runway 1/19; given the winds and absence of traffic; I opted for a descending straight-in approach and landing on runway 19. I announced my position and intention on the CTAF to which I received no reply. Approximately 1 mi out from the threshold; I reduced power to 1600 RPM; lower the flaps to 10 degrees and captured 80 KIAS; descending approximately 600 FPM. The stiff right quartering headwind; visually confirmed by the windsock; resulted in a full crab to the right. As I was idling the engine and passing over the threshold and with a new commercial building some 200 yards to my left; the wind swirled up pushing and pulling the plane in all directions causing moderate attitude changes to the plane. After a few moments of attempting to correct for the unannounced gusting winds and maintain runway alignment; I decided it was best to execute a go around. I applied full power; confirming a positive climb on runway heading and raised the flaps after clearing the surrounding terrain. I flew a complete l-hand pattern; aligning up with runway 19 turning final with the same power and flap settings and airspeed as before. I expected the unannounced gusting winds this time. I maintained runway heading using the crab method all the way to flare; abeam the PAPI GS indicating lights; at which point the plane was quickly pushed off to the left. The plane was approximately 4 ft AGL and settling at this point and had slowed to approximately 50 KIAS; headed right and flying left; passing over the left side runway edge. While vainly attempting to pull the plane back to the right; the left landing strut and wheel pant struck 2 consecutive runway light posts. After striking the first light post; I temporarily applied power to approximately 2200 RPM which provided the thrust to pull the plane to the right back over to the runway without dragging the right wing; and gain a little altitude. At this point the plane was approximately 2/5 the way down the 4900 ft runway. After realigning with the runway and pulling out the power; I flared and landed without any further complications. As I was taxiing back to the FBO ramp; another inbound plane announced intentions to land at the same airport. I advised him of the gusting winds crossing the threshold. He acknowledged my report and replied that the winds that were being reported to him were 300 degree at 15 KTS gusting to 21 KTS. He further advised that he intended to circle and land on runway heading runway 1; not runway 19. As this was contrary to what was reporting when I initially checked the ASOS; I again checked the ASOS station within 5 mins of his comment; after securing the plane on the FBO ramp. The ASOS station at that time was reporting winds as 250 degrees at 15 KTS gusting to 21 KTS. I do not know; assume nor ask where the other pilot received his wind conditions. While landing at the destination airport; unrpted gusting winds below aircraft off the l-hand runway edge during the landing flare. Indicated airspeed was approximately 50 KTS. Engine was idle with 10 degrees of flaps given the reported stiff right quartering headwind. The left wheel strut assembly struck 2 consecutive runway lights approximately 1/4 the way down runway 19. Plane was heavily crabbed to the right resulting in impact damage to only the 2 runway lights; left wheel pant; and left wheel strut sleeve. No ground contact was made. Power was applied temporarily to thrust plane back over the runway where a normal landing was executed. WX was clear and dry; ASOS reported 240 degrees at 14 KTS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had 'get homeitis' and wanted to return the aircraft by the time the FBO requested. He also indicated that his low flight time total may have led to the incident. He was caught by surprise when the gust of wind coming over the hangar caught the aircraft and he was unable to salvagethe landing. His crosswind knowledge is limited and that the wind was gusting to 23 KTS or so. Additionally; the runway was narrow and that caused him problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAS A RWY EXCURSION DURING LNDG AND STRIKES SEVERAL RWY EDGE LIGHTS AT HFY.

Narrative: WHILE NEARING 15 MI INBOUND TO THE NON-TWRED LNDG ARPT; I TUNED IN THE CO-LOCATED ASOS STATION TO OBTAIN THE AUTOMATED LCL WX. ASOS RPTED WINDS 240 DEGS AT 14 KTS; SKY CLR BELOW 12000 FT; BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 29.87. I WAS FLYING A HDG OF 192 DEGS WITH THE GARMIN G1000 INDICATING A R QUARTERING HEADWIND OF 21 KTS AT 3500 FT; WHICH HAD BEEN CONSISTENT DURING THE 1 HR FLT. AS THE LNDG ARPT RWY HDGS WERE RWY 1/19; GIVEN THE WINDS AND ABSENCE OF TFC; I OPTED FOR A DSNDING STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 19. I ANNOUNCED MY POS AND INTENTION ON THE CTAF TO WHICH I RECEIVED NO REPLY. APPROX 1 MI OUT FROM THE THRESHOLD; I REDUCED PWR TO 1600 RPM; LOWER THE FLAPS TO 10 DEGS AND CAPTURED 80 KIAS; DSNDING APPROX 600 FPM. THE STIFF R QUARTERING HEADWIND; VISUALLY CONFIRMED BY THE WINDSOCK; RESULTED IN A FULL CRAB TO THE R. AS I WAS IDLING THE ENG AND PASSING OVER THE THRESHOLD AND WITH A NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING SOME 200 YARDS TO MY L; THE WIND SWIRLED UP PUSHING AND PULLING THE PLANE IN ALL DIRECTIONS CAUSING MODERATE ATTITUDE CHANGES TO THE PLANE. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS OF ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT FOR THE UNANNOUNCED GUSTING WINDS AND MAINTAIN RWY ALIGNMENT; I DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO EXECUTE A GAR. I APPLIED FULL PWR; CONFIRMING A POSITIVE CLB ON RWY HDG AND RAISED THE FLAPS AFTER CLRING THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN. I FLEW A COMPLETE L-HAND PATTERN; ALIGNING UP WITH RWY 19 TURNING FINAL WITH THE SAME PWR AND FLAP SETTINGS AND AIRSPD AS BEFORE. I EXPECTED THE UNANNOUNCED GUSTING WINDS THIS TIME. I MAINTAINED RWY HDG USING THE CRAB METHOD ALL THE WAY TO FLARE; ABEAM THE PAPI GS INDICATING LIGHTS; AT WHICH POINT THE PLANE WAS QUICKLY PUSHED OFF TO THE L. THE PLANE WAS APPROX 4 FT AGL AND SETTLING AT THIS POINT AND HAD SLOWED TO APPROX 50 KIAS; HEADED R AND FLYING L; PASSING OVER THE L SIDE RWY EDGE. WHILE VAINLY ATTEMPTING TO PULL THE PLANE BACK TO THE R; THE L LNDG STRUT AND WHEEL PANT STRUCK 2 CONSECUTIVE RWY LIGHT POSTS. AFTER STRIKING THE FIRST LIGHT POST; I TEMPORARILY APPLIED PWR TO APPROX 2200 RPM WHICH PROVIDED THE THRUST TO PULL THE PLANE TO THE R BACK OVER TO THE RWY WITHOUT DRAGGING THE R WING; AND GAIN A LITTLE ALT. AT THIS POINT THE PLANE WAS APPROX 2/5 THE WAY DOWN THE 4900 FT RWY. AFTER REALIGNING WITH THE RWY AND PULLING OUT THE PWR; I FLARED AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. AS I WAS TAXIING BACK TO THE FBO RAMP; ANOTHER INBOUND PLANE ANNOUNCED INTENTIONS TO LAND AT THE SAME ARPT. I ADVISED HIM OF THE GUSTING WINDS XING THE THRESHOLD. HE ACKNOWLEDGED MY RPT AND REPLIED THAT THE WINDS THAT WERE BEING RPTED TO HIM WERE 300 DEG AT 15 KTS GUSTING TO 21 KTS. HE FURTHER ADVISED THAT HE INTENDED TO CIRCLE AND LAND ON RWY HDG RWY 1; NOT RWY 19. AS THIS WAS CONTRARY TO WHAT WAS RPTING WHEN I INITIALLY CHKED THE ASOS; I AGAIN CHKED THE ASOS STATION WITHIN 5 MINS OF HIS COMMENT; AFTER SECURING THE PLANE ON THE FBO RAMP. THE ASOS STATION AT THAT TIME WAS RPTING WINDS AS 250 DEGS AT 15 KTS GUSTING TO 21 KTS. I DO NOT KNOW; ASSUME NOR ASK WHERE THE OTHER PLT RECEIVED HIS WIND CONDITIONS. WHILE LNDG AT THE DEST ARPT; UNRPTED GUSTING WINDS BELOW ACFT OFF THE L-HAND RWY EDGE DURING THE LNDG FLARE. INDICATED AIRSPD WAS APPROX 50 KTS. ENG WAS IDLE WITH 10 DEGS OF FLAPS GIVEN THE RPTED STIFF R QUARTERING HEADWIND. THE L WHEEL STRUT ASSEMBLY STRUCK 2 CONSECUTIVE RWY LIGHTS APPROX 1/4 THE WAY DOWN RWY 19. PLANE WAS HEAVILY CRABBED TO THE R RESULTING IN IMPACT DAMAGE TO ONLY THE 2 RWY LIGHTS; L WHEEL PANT; AND L WHEEL STRUT SLEEVE. NO GND CONTACT WAS MADE. PWR WAS APPLIED TEMPORARILY TO THRUST PLANE BACK OVER THE RWY WHERE A NORMAL LNDG WAS EXECUTED. WX WAS CLR AND DRY; ASOS RPTED 240 DEGS AT 14 KTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD 'GET HOMEITIS' AND WANTED TO RETURN THE ACFT BY THE TIME THE FBO REQUESTED. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT HIS LOW FLT TIME TOTAL MAY HAVE LED TO THE INCIDENT. HE WAS CAUGHT BY SURPRISE WHEN THE GUST OF WIND COMING OVER THE HANGAR CAUGHT THE ACFT AND HE WAS UNABLE TO SALVAGETHE LNDG. HIS XWIND KNOWLEDGE IS LIMITED AND THAT THE WIND WAS GUSTING TO 23 KTS OR SO. ADDITIONALLY; THE RWY WAS NARROW AND THAT CAUSED HIM PROBS.

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.