Narrative:

During landing at lns, I T/D'd in the grass short of the threshold of runway 8. I had completed the ILS runway 8 INS approach to the airport, and after reaching the missed approach point, I had seen the landing environment and made a decision to land. I had forgotten to contact the airport control tower to receive clearance to land on runway 8. Attempting to contact the tower for this clearance, I continued toward landing. Lowering the landing flaps resulted in a loss of airspeed, which caused me to fly the aircraft too low and slow to reach the paved runway. The aircraft touched in the grass about 20' short of the runway, and I brought it to a stop in the middle of runway 8, about 1000' up the runway from the threshold. I then made radio contact with the tower and informed them that I had landed short and that they may want to check the runway end identify lights for damage. At the ramp I inspected the aircraft for damage, noting that there was mud and blades of grass splashed on the lower side of the aircraft behind both main landing gear areas, and that some sod was on the aircraft around both main gear brakes and outer gear doors. I did not thoroughly inspect the propellers, nor ask a mechanic to inspect the aircraft for airworthiness before the return flight. The contributing factors to this accident were as follows: 1) my low time and inexperience with the aircraft and class of aircraft. 2) harrisburg approach control vectored me very close to the final approach fix before verifying that I had not captured the localizer inbound course. This required the controller to vector me on about a 90 degree angle to the inbound localizer approach course in order for me to intercept the approach course outside the final approach fix. The controller also gave me clrncs to lower altitudes later than usual for normal G/south interception. 3) due to my attempts to contact the tower for landing clearance, I did not monitor airspeed closely enough. 4) I did not monitor the G/south indicator after seeing the landing environment. This caused me to allow the aircraft to sink below the proper glide path. I inspected the landing gear because I believed that only the undercarriage of the aircraft struck the ground short of the runway, and I saw no apparent sign of damage to the propellers. I did not request a mechanic to inspect the aircraft for airworthiness, because I did not observe any substantial damage which, in my opinion as the PIC, would affect the airworthiness of the aircraft. I did not carry any passenger on the flight to lns or the return flight from lns.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT LNDG UNDERSHOT. MINOR DAMAGE, BUT NO MAINTENANCE INSPECTION PRIOR TO RETURN FLT.

Narrative: DURING LNDG AT LNS, I T/D'D IN THE GRASS SHORT OF THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 8. I HAD COMPLETED THE ILS RWY 8 INS APCH TO THE ARPT, AND AFTER REACHING THE MISSED APCH POINT, I HAD SEEN THE LNDG ENVIRONMENT AND MADE A DECISION TO LAND. I HAD FORGOTTEN TO CONTACT THE ARPT CTL TWR TO RECEIVE CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 8. ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR THIS CLRNC, I CONTINUED TOWARD LNDG. LOWERING THE LNDG FLAPS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRSPD, WHICH CAUSED ME TO FLY THE ACFT TOO LOW AND SLOW TO REACH THE PAVED RWY. THE ACFT TOUCHED IN THE GRASS ABOUT 20' SHORT OF THE RWY, AND I BROUGHT IT TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF RWY 8, ABOUT 1000' UP THE RWY FROM THE THRESHOLD. I THEN MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD LANDED SHORT AND THAT THEY MAY WANT TO CHK THE RWY END IDENT LIGHTS FOR DAMAGE. AT THE RAMP I INSPECTED THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE, NOTING THAT THERE WAS MUD AND BLADES OF GRASS SPLASHED ON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE ACFT BEHIND BOTH MAIN LNDG GEAR AREAS, AND THAT SOME SOD WAS ON THE ACFT AROUND BOTH MAIN GEAR BRAKES AND OUTER GEAR DOORS. I DID NOT THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE PROPS, NOR ASK A MECH TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR AIRWORTHINESS BEFORE THE RETURN FLT. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE AS FOLLOWS: 1) MY LOW TIME AND INEXPERIENCE WITH THE ACFT AND CLASS OF ACFT. 2) HARRISBURG APCH CTL VECTORED ME VERY CLOSE TO THE FINAL APCH FIX BEFORE VERIFYING THAT I HAD NOT CAPTURED THE LOC INBND COURSE. THIS REQUIRED THE CTLR TO VECTOR ME ON ABOUT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO THE INBND LOC APCH COURSE IN ORDER FOR ME TO INTERCEPT THE APCH COURSE OUTSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX. THE CTLR ALSO GAVE ME CLRNCS TO LOWER ALTS LATER THAN USUAL FOR NORMAL G/S INTERCEPTION. 3) DUE TO MY ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC, I DID NOT MONITOR AIRSPD CLOSELY ENOUGH. 4) I DID NOT MONITOR THE G/S INDICATOR AFTER SEEING THE LNDG ENVIRONMENT. THIS CAUSED ME TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO SINK BELOW THE PROPER GLIDE PATH. I INSPECTED THE LNDG GEAR BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT ONLY THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE ACFT STRUCK THE GND SHORT OF THE RWY, AND I SAW NO APPARENT SIGN OF DAMAGE TO THE PROPS. I DID NOT REQUEST A MECH TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR AIRWORTHINESS, BECAUSE I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHICH, IN MY OPINION AS THE PIC, WOULD AFFECT THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT. I DID NOT CARRY ANY PAX ON THE FLT TO LNS OR THE RETURN FLT FROM LNS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.