C172 pilot has a runway excursion at rcz.

Attributes
ACN	714371
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rcz.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 118 flight time type : 118
ASRS Report	714371
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I had an incident of running off the side of the runway and into a grassy area following a crosswind landing. The runway at rcz is runway 13/31; a 5000 ft X 1000 ft runway. The wind was 030 degrees at 6 KTS with mild gusts. I set up for a normal crosswind landing on runway 13. My airspeed on final was 65 KIAS. I touched down 500-700 ft down the runway and near the centerline. As I rolled out; I lowered the nose and experienced a very aggressive nosewheel shimmy. In reaction to the shimmy; I pulled back on the yoke to take the weight off of the nosewheel. As I did this I lost my crosswind correction and noticed an upwind wing gaining lift as the left main tire was slightly off the ground. As this happened the plane quickly turned left and toward the edge of the runway. Looking forward I could see a flat grassy lawn area between the runway and the taxiway; since my speed was between roughly 35-45 KTS I did not want to attempt an abrupt maneuver to try and correct the plane back toward the centerline. My decision was to roll into the grass where I held the nose high and treated it like a soft field landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAS A RWY EXCURSION AT RCZ.

Narrative: I HAD AN INCIDENT OF RUNNING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND INTO A GRASSY AREA FOLLOWING A XWIND LNDG. THE RWY AT RCZ IS RWY 13/31; A 5000 FT X 1000 FT RWY. THE WIND WAS 030 DEGS AT 6 KTS WITH MILD GUSTS. I SET UP FOR A NORMAL XWIND LNDG ON RWY 13. MY AIRSPD ON FINAL WAS 65 KIAS. I TOUCHED DOWN 500-700 FT DOWN THE RWY AND NEAR THE CTRLINE. AS I ROLLED OUT; I LOWERED THE NOSE AND EXPERIENCED A VERY AGGRESSIVE NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY. IN REACTION TO THE SHIMMY; I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO TAKE THE WT OFF OF THE NOSEWHEEL. AS I DID THIS I LOST MY XWIND CORRECTION AND NOTICED AN UPWIND WING GAINING LIFT AS THE L MAIN TIRE WAS SLIGHTLY OFF THE GND. AS THIS HAPPENED THE PLANE QUICKLY TURNED L AND TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE RWY. LOOKING FORWARD I COULD SEE A FLAT GRASSY LAWN AREA BTWN THE RWY AND THE TXWY; SINCE MY SPD WAS BTWN ROUGHLY 35-45 KTS I DID NOT WANT TO ATTEMPT AN ABRUPT MANEUVER TO TRY AND CORRECT THE PLANE BACK TOWARD THE CTRLINE. MY DECISION WAS TO ROLL INTO THE GRASS WHERE I HELD THE NOSE HIGH AND TREATED IT LIKE A SOFT FIELD LNDG.

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.