Aircraft made hard landing in gusty wind conditions damaging aircraft slightly.

Attributes
ACN	124862
Time
Date	198910
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 12n
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 675 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	124862
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After contact with aeroflex unicom (12N), I was told that runway 03 was in use. I entered the downwind leg and flew a normal pattern. As I turned final it was necessary to use a great deal of crosswind correction for the northwesterly flow. Final approach was flown at 78 KIAS (5 KTS above norm to compensate for gusty conditions) and after relatively turbulent approach, the aircraft entered ground effect and a flair was begun. As the aircraft settled our ground speed sharply and suddenly increased by approximately 10-12 KTS. This shearing condition, after a change from a quartering headwind to a tailwind, pushed the aircraft through the rest of its flair and forced the hard landing. The aircraft struck main gear first, followed, closely afterward, by the nose gear. The nose wheel tire was flattened and, after a bounce, the propeller tips struck the runway, bending them backwards. The aircraft exited the runway under its own power and was shut down on an adjoining taxiway. The ELT was activated on touchdown and was switched off after the runway was cleared. Aeroflex is locally known for its potential wind shearing conditions such as this, as it is located on the western edge of a shallow valley and on the leeward side of a rocky hill. These factors combined for an unpredictable swirling wind. I will also include a xerox of the quad to show terrain conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MADE HARD LNDG IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS DAMAGING ACFT SLIGHTLY.

Narrative: AFTER CONTACT WITH AEROFLEX UNICOM (12N), I WAS TOLD THAT RWY 03 WAS IN USE. I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG AND FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN. AS I TURNED FINAL IT WAS NECESSARY TO USE A GREAT DEAL OF XWIND CORRECTION FOR THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW. FINAL APCH WAS FLOWN AT 78 KIAS (5 KTS ABOVE NORM TO COMPENSATE FOR GUSTY CONDITIONS) AND AFTER RELATIVELY TURBULENT APCH, THE ACFT ENTERED GND EFFECT AND A FLAIR WAS BEGUN. AS THE ACFT SETTLED OUR GND SPEED SHARPLY AND SUDDENLY INCREASED BY APPROX 10-12 KTS. THIS SHEARING CONDITION, AFTER A CHANGE FROM A QUARTERING HEADWIND TO A TAILWIND, PUSHED THE ACFT THROUGH THE REST OF ITS FLAIR AND FORCED THE HARD LNDG. THE ACFT STRUCK MAIN GEAR FIRST, FOLLOWED, CLOSELY AFTERWARD, BY THE NOSE GEAR. THE NOSE WHEEL TIRE WAS FLATTENED AND, AFTER A BOUNCE, THE PROPELLER TIPS STRUCK THE RWY, BENDING THEM BACKWARDS. THE ACFT EXITED THE RWY UNDER ITS OWN POWER AND WAS SHUT DOWN ON AN ADJOINING TXWY. THE ELT WAS ACTIVATED ON TOUCHDOWN AND WAS SWITCHED OFF AFTER THE RWY WAS CLRED. AEROFLEX IS LOCALLY KNOWN FOR ITS POTENTIAL WIND SHEARING CONDITIONS SUCH AS THIS, AS IT IS LOCATED ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF A SHALLOW VALLEY AND ON THE LEEWARD SIDE OF A ROCKY HILL. THESE FACTORS COMBINED FOR AN UNPREDICTABLE SWIRLING WIND. I WILL ALSO INCLUDE A XEROX OF THE QUAD TO SHOW TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

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.