Narrative:

The flight proceeded normally through a combination of VMC and IMC. As I approached ZZZ I picked up ATIS information; recorded 25 mins prior; which reported winds from 310 degrees at 9 KTS gusting to 15 KTS; 10 mi visibility; a few clouds at 9500 ft; and altimeter 29.63 and was cleared by approach control for the visual approach to runway 27L. Subsequently; ZZZ tower cleared me to land runway 27L; and when about 1.5 mi out on final; I asked for a wind check; which the tower reported as from 300 degrees at 20 KTS with no mention of gusts. I converted that in my head to a 10 KT crosswind component and 14 KT headwind component; crossed the runway threshold with full flaps at an indicated airspeed of 95-100 KTS and ground speed of 80-85 KTS; touched down normally at what I would estimate to be 1000 ft down the 5004 ft runway on the centerline. During the flare to touchdown; I experienced what I would describe as normal ground effect turbulence; given the reported wind conditions; and I focused on maintaining the centerline and allowing airspeed to bleed off to land smoothly. Immediately upon touchdown; the airplane began veering about 20 degrees to the left and I felt that we were rolling out at a higher than normal speed. Due to the speed; I was reluctant to apply brakes immediately and tried to correct with right rudder only. In a matter of only a few seconds; I determined that more aggressive correction was unsafe and instead decided to exit the runway into the grassy area between the runway and the airport ramp area; which I would estimate to be 150-200 ft wide. In the process of doing so; the left wing struck a runway light and then the 3000 ft remaining sign. The tower then called and asked if everyone was alright and whether I wanted to stop the airplane and have it towed. By now the airplane had slowed down; I had reverted to soft field techniques; continued to taxi the airplane to the next paved taxiway/runway exit; taxied the airplane to the ramp and performed a normal shutdown. There were no injuries at all to either myself or my son. Damage to the airplane was confined to the left wing and left wheel pant. Following shutdown; a very slow leak of fuel was detected from the left wing (literally droplets; not a stream) and the line crew drained the remaining fuel from the left fuel tank.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COLUMBIA 400 PLT EXPERIENCES A RUNWAY EXCURSION AND SUBSEQUENT ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY THROUGH A COMBINATION OF VMC AND IMC. AS I APCHED ZZZ I PICKED UP ATIS INFO; RECORDED 25 MINS PRIOR; WHICH RPTED WINDS FROM 310 DEGS AT 9 KTS GUSTING TO 15 KTS; 10 MI VISIBILITY; A FEW CLOUDS AT 9500 FT; AND ALTIMETER 29.63 AND WAS CLRED BY APCH CTL FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27L. SUBSEQUENTLY; ZZZ TWR CLRED ME TO LAND RWY 27L; AND WHEN ABOUT 1.5 MI OUT ON FINAL; I ASKED FOR A WIND CHK; WHICH THE TWR RPTED AS FROM 300 DEGS AT 20 KTS WITH NO MENTION OF GUSTS. I CONVERTED THAT IN MY HEAD TO A 10 KT XWIND COMPONENT AND 14 KT HEADWIND COMPONENT; CROSSED THE RWY THRESHOLD WITH FULL FLAPS AT AN INDICATED AIRSPD OF 95-100 KTS AND GND SPD OF 80-85 KTS; TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY AT WHAT I WOULD ESTIMATE TO BE 1000 FT DOWN THE 5004 FT RWY ON THE CTRLINE. DURING THE FLARE TO TOUCHDOWN; I EXPERIENCED WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS NORMAL GND EFFECT TURB; GIVEN THE RPTED WIND CONDITIONS; AND I FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING THE CTRLINE AND ALLOWING AIRSPD TO BLEED OFF TO LAND SMOOTHLY. IMMEDIATELY UPON TOUCHDOWN; THE AIRPLANE BEGAN VEERING ABOUT 20 DEGS TO THE L AND I FELT THAT WE WERE ROLLING OUT AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SPD. DUE TO THE SPD; I WAS RELUCTANT TO APPLY BRAKES IMMEDIATELY AND TRIED TO CORRECT WITH R RUDDER ONLY. IN A MATTER OF ONLY A FEW SECONDS; I DETERMINED THAT MORE AGGRESSIVE CORRECTION WAS UNSAFE AND INSTEAD DECIDED TO EXIT THE RWY INTO THE GRASSY AREA BTWN THE RWY AND THE ARPT RAMP AREA; WHICH I WOULD ESTIMATE TO BE 150-200 FT WIDE. IN THE PROCESS OF DOING SO; THE L WING STRUCK A RWY LIGHT AND THEN THE 3000 FT REMAINING SIGN. THE TWR THEN CALLED AND ASKED IF EVERYONE WAS ALRIGHT AND WHETHER I WANTED TO STOP THE AIRPLANE AND HAVE IT TOWED. BY NOW THE AIRPLANE HAD SLOWED DOWN; I HAD REVERTED TO SOFT FIELD TECHNIQUES; CONTINUED TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE TO THE NEXT PAVED TXWY/RWY EXIT; TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RAMP AND PERFORMED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AT ALL TO EITHER MYSELF OR MY SON. DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFINED TO THE L WING AND L WHEEL PANT. FOLLOWING SHUTDOWN; A VERY SLOW LEAK OF FUEL WAS DETECTED FROM THE L WING (LITERALLY DROPLETS; NOT A STREAM) AND THE LINE CREW DRAINED THE REMAINING FUEL FROM THE L FUEL TANK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.