PA46 communication pilot encounters thunderstorms and downdrafts on approach.

Attributes
ACN	708293
Time
Date	200608
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-46 Malibu
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	708293
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : executed go around
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Arriving in ZZZ there were thunderstorms in the vicinity just south of ZZZ. My arrival path would have had me going straight through the storm so I diverted east around the storm staying VMC the entire way. Upon reaching a straight in final there were showers in the immediate area of the airport but still VMC I elected to continue the approach. I was on short final when tower lost sight of me and asked if I still had the runway in sight. I did and continued the approach while not 10 seconds later the same downburst that caused the tower to lose sight of me started pushing me to the ground. I lost sight of the runway; added full power and dropped my first notch of flaps and attempted to go around but was thrown to the ground and after I bounced was airborne again. When I got to a safe altitude retracted my gear but the hydraulic pump started to work and quit while it was sucking up the nosewheel. I tried to cycle the gear but to no avail so I used the emergency extension and still did not get a down and locked from my nose gear however the mains were reading down. I declared an emergency and set up for a landing. Prior to landing I had the 2 passenger situation in the far aft seats along with throwing all available bags/weight into the aft cargo area. On landing I touched down mains first and kept the nosewheel off as long as possible. When the mains touched the nosewheel showed down and when the nose finally touched the gear held and it was a non eventful landing. What I believe caused the situation is the hard landing may have caused harm to the hydraulic pump for the landing gear causing it to fail. However I'm not certain why the nose gear didn't get locked into place after the emergency gear extension. Also ultimately I should have avoided the area all together with the thunderstorms in the vicinity. How can it be prevented? A decision to go around prior to losing sight of the runway (upon tower losing sight). Also a decision to hold and wait for conditions to improve would have been ideal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA46 COM PLT ENCOUNTERS TSTMS AND DOWNDRAFTS ON APCH.

Narrative: ARRIVING IN ZZZ THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE VICINITY JUST S OF ZZZ. MY ARR PATH WOULD HAVE HAD ME GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH THE STORM SO I DIVERTED E AROUND THE STORM STAYING VMC THE ENTIRE WAY. UPON REACHING A STRAIGHT IN FINAL THERE WERE SHOWERS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE ARPT BUT STILL VMC I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH. I WAS ON SHORT FINAL WHEN TWR LOST SIGHT OF ME AND ASKED IF I STILL HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. I DID AND CONTINUED THE APCH WHILE NOT 10 SECONDS LATER THE SAME DOWNBURST THAT CAUSED THE TWR TO LOSE SIGHT OF ME STARTED PUSHING ME TO THE GND. I LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY; ADDED FULL PWR AND DROPPED MY FIRST NOTCH OF FLAPS AND ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND BUT WAS THROWN TO THE GND AND AFTER I BOUNCED WAS AIRBORNE AGAIN. WHEN I GOT TO A SAFE ALT RETRACTED MY GEAR BUT THE HYD PUMP STARTED TO WORK AND QUIT WHILE IT WAS SUCKING UP THE NOSEWHEEL. I TRIED TO CYCLE THE GEAR BUT TO NO AVAIL SO I USED THE EMER EXTENSION AND STILL DID NOT GET A DOWN AND LOCKED FROM MY NOSE GEAR HOWEVER THE MAINS WERE READING DOWN. I DECLARED AN EMER AND SET UP FOR A LNDG. PRIOR TO LNDG I HAD THE 2 PAX SIT IN THE FAR AFT SEATS ALONG WITH THROWING ALL AVAILABLE BAGS/WT INTO THE AFT CARGO AREA. ON LNDG I TOUCHED DOWN MAINS FIRST AND KEPT THE NOSEWHEEL OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THE MAINS TOUCHED THE NOSEWHEEL SHOWED DOWN AND WHEN THE NOSE FINALLY TOUCHED THE GEAR HELD AND IT WAS A NON EVENTFUL LNDG. WHAT I BELIEVE CAUSED THE SIT IS THE HARD LNDG MAY HAVE CAUSED HARM TO THE HYD PUMP FOR THE LNDG GEAR CAUSING IT TO FAIL. HOWEVER I'M NOT CERTAIN WHY THE NOSE GEAR DIDN'T GET LOCKED INTO PLACE AFTER THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION. ALSO ULTIMATELY I SHOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE AREA ALL TOGETHER WITH THE TSTMS IN THE VICINITY. HOW CAN IT BE PREVENTED? A DECISION TO GO AROUND PRIOR TO LOSING SIGHT OF THE RWY (UPON TWR LOSING SIGHT). ALSO A DECISION TO HOLD AND WAIT FOR CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE WOULD HAVE BEEN IDEAL.

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.