Narrative:

On downwind; experienced light rain. On turn to base; rain became moderate; did not effect performance of aircraft. Rain continued on final. On short final; I was just under 80 KTS and 100 ft high; 20 degrees flaps. Flared at numbers (approach end). Bounced and recovered with throttle. Touched both mains and rolled nose; then started to brake. No effect. Increased brake pressure. No effect. Just past runway 1/2 way; I determined I could not execute a go around (clear high tension wires at departure end). I also knew that I would not be able to make the turn off either. Initially; the left main brake was effective; which resulted in turning the aft; which I corrected with rudder and nosewheel. By the time both brakes were yielding positive action; the tires began to hydroplane. I steered the aircraft between the runway end lights in to the grass. I then pulled the fuel shutoff; turned off the magnetos and shut down the master. The airspeed indicator was not registering; which translated to a speed of less than 30 KTS. The propeller stopped horizontally. I unlatched both doors and the aircraft rolled into a wire (deer) fence. It was still raining moderately. I exited on the pilot (port) side and proceeded to 50 ft past the tail. I turned and continued to back away; as a precaution. I stopped 100 ft from the aircraft; where I met a line person from the FBO. He disconnected the battery. The damage was to the exhaust pipe (bent by the wire fence). A 1 inch dent in the fairing of the main gear strut; a 1/2 inch dent in the leading edge of the tail plane and the left inboard section of the elevator was bent (4 inch section bent 1 inch). The aircraft was pulled to the ramp where an a&P mechanic straightened the exhaust pipe and the elevator. The aircraft started right up on the first attempt. The flight service that the aircraft was rented from; applied for and was granted a ferry permit. I was contacted by the FAA/FSDO and have sent my statement; certificates and medical to the inspector's attention. To prevent this type of incident; I would go back to the go-fly decision. Even though there were only isolated showers in the area and they were only forecast to be in the area for a short time; then clearing; with the experience level I had; up to that point; I would not have departed at that time. I would have been better off to wait until the precipitation clouds were out of my intended flight path. I suggest that advice for anyone with little or no experience flying and in particular; landing in rain conditions. Also; when I noted being 10 KTS fast and 100 ft high; even though on a dry runway; a successful landing could have been achieved and the fact that I have landed several other times at this particular field; a go around should have been executed. I intend to schedule some dual time in order to achieve more rainy/wet runway conditions experience. It is obvious that my training prevailed at the point that I decided to remain on the ground rather than attempt a go around and risk the consequences. Further; the mechanics of the emergency procedures went well. (Shutdown and securing the aircraft.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HYDROPLANES OFF END OF RWY AFTER LNDG FAST AND LONG IN A RAIN SHOWER.

Narrative: ON DOWNWIND; EXPERIENCED LIGHT RAIN. ON TURN TO BASE; RAIN BECAME MODERATE; DID NOT EFFECT PERFORMANCE OF ACFT. RAIN CONTINUED ON FINAL. ON SHORT FINAL; I WAS JUST UNDER 80 KTS AND 100 FT HIGH; 20 DEGS FLAPS. FLARED AT NUMBERS (APCH END). BOUNCED AND RECOVERED WITH THROTTLE. TOUCHED BOTH MAINS AND ROLLED NOSE; THEN STARTED TO BRAKE. NO EFFECT. INCREASED BRAKE PRESSURE. NO EFFECT. JUST PAST RWY 1/2 WAY; I DETERMINED I COULD NOT EXECUTE A GAR (CLR HIGH TENSION WIRES AT DEP END). I ALSO KNEW THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN OFF EITHER. INITIALLY; THE L MAIN BRAKE WAS EFFECTIVE; WHICH RESULTED IN TURNING THE AFT; WHICH I CORRECTED WITH RUDDER AND NOSEWHEEL. BY THE TIME BOTH BRAKES WERE YIELDING POSITIVE ACTION; THE TIRES BEGAN TO HYDROPLANE. I STEERED THE ACFT BTWN THE RWY END LIGHTS IN TO THE GRASS. I THEN PULLED THE FUEL SHUTOFF; TURNED OFF THE MAGNETOS AND SHUT DOWN THE MASTER. THE AIRSPD INDICATOR WAS NOT REGISTERING; WHICH TRANSLATED TO A SPD OF LESS THAN 30 KTS. THE PROP STOPPED HORIZLY. I UNLATCHED BOTH DOORS AND THE ACFT ROLLED INTO A WIRE (DEER) FENCE. IT WAS STILL RAINING MODERATELY. I EXITED ON THE PLT (PORT) SIDE AND PROCEEDED TO 50 FT PAST THE TAIL. I TURNED AND CONTINUED TO BACK AWAY; AS A PRECAUTION. I STOPPED 100 FT FROM THE ACFT; WHERE I MET A LINE PERSON FROM THE FBO. HE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE DAMAGE WAS TO THE EXHAUST PIPE (BENT BY THE WIRE FENCE). A 1 INCH DENT IN THE FAIRING OF THE MAIN GEAR STRUT; A 1/2 INCH DENT IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE TAIL PLANE AND THE L INBOARD SECTION OF THE ELEVATOR WAS BENT (4 INCH SECTION BENT 1 INCH). THE ACFT WAS PULLED TO THE RAMP WHERE AN A&P MECH STRAIGHTENED THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE ELEVATOR. THE ACFT STARTED RIGHT UP ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THE FLT SVC THAT THE ACFT WAS RENTED FROM; APPLIED FOR AND WAS GRANTED A FERRY PERMIT. I WAS CONTACTED BY THE FAA/FSDO AND HAVE SENT MY STATEMENT; CERTIFICATES AND MEDICAL TO THE INSPECTOR'S ATTN. TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT; I WOULD GO BACK TO THE GO-FLY DECISION. EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AREA AND THEY WERE ONLY FORECAST TO BE IN THE AREA FOR A SHORT TIME; THEN CLRING; WITH THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL I HAD; UP TO THAT POINT; I WOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED AT THAT TIME. I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF TO WAIT UNTIL THE PRECIP CLOUDS WERE OUT OF MY INTENDED FLT PATH. I SUGGEST THAT ADVICE FOR ANYONE WITH LITTLE OR NO EXPERIENCE FLYING AND IN PARTICULAR; LNDG IN RAIN CONDITIONS. ALSO; WHEN I NOTED BEING 10 KTS FAST AND 100 FT HIGH; EVEN THOUGH ON A DRY RWY; A SUCCESSFUL LNDG COULD HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED AND THE FACT THAT I HAVE LANDED SEVERAL OTHER TIMES AT THIS PARTICULAR FIELD; A GAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXECUTED. I INTEND TO SCHEDULE SOME DUAL TIME IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MORE RAINY/WET RWY CONDITIONS EXPERIENCE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT MY TRAINING PREVAILED AT THE POINT THAT I DECIDED TO REMAIN ON THE GND RATHER THAN ATTEMPT A GAR AND RISK THE CONSEQUENCES. FURTHER; THE MECHS OF THE EMER PROCS WENT WELL. (SHUTDOWN AND SECURING THE ACFT.)

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.