Narrative:

I departed toa at approximately XA45Z on an IFR flight plan to bullhead city, az. After passing hector VOR (hec) I requested and received a radar vector direct to bullhead city, az. Approximately 20 mi from my destination, I was cleared to descend to a level below radar coverage. I cancelled the IFR plan and proceeded VFR to destination airport. At approximately 1800 MSL (1300 AGL) I crossed directly over the mohave generating station, which is on a direct line to enter a right hand pattern, downwind leg, for runway 17. Severe and sudden turbulence over the generating station caused a drop of about 300 ft. My passenger and I, even though restrained by seat belts, struck the overhead of the cabin. I was dazed but conscious. My wife was cut on the top of her head, and the cut was bleeding freely. I completed the downwind, base and final legs of the pattern extending flaps as recommended, but I neglected to extend the landing gear. My first realization of this was when the belly of the airplane scraped the ground. We skidded in a straight line, deviating to the right and off the runway only at the final position of the skid. The plane came to rest on the west side of the runway and tilted to the right with the starboard wing tip resting on the ground. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter made an interesting point reference the stack that was overflown. First of all, he hadn't realized that the stack was that high and that only 578 ft of clearance existed. He has flown into that airport very often but never had experienced the down draft/turbulence because this was the first time that there was a no wind situation and he bore the brunt of the heat/thermal arising from the stack. He said that he will never overfly that stack again. His wife's head took 4 stitches and he also felt that the trauma he experienced kept him from performing his checklist properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GEAR UP LNDG ENSUES AFTER A DOWNDRAFT ENCOUNTER IN CLR AIR TURB CREATES 2 PERSONAL INJURIES AT NON TWR ARPT UNICOM.

Narrative: I DEPARTED TOA AT APPROX XA45Z ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO BULLHEAD CITY, AZ. AFTER PASSING HECTOR VOR (HEC) I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A RADAR VECTOR DIRECT TO BULLHEAD CITY, AZ. APPROX 20 MI FROM MY DEST, I WAS CLRED TO DSND TO A LEVEL BELOW RADAR COVERAGE. I CANCELLED THE IFR PLAN AND PROCEEDED VFR TO DEST ARPT. AT APPROX 1800 MSL (1300 AGL) I CROSSED DIRECTLY OVER THE MOHAVE GENERATING STATION, WHICH IS ON A DIRECT LINE TO ENTER A R HAND PATTERN, DOWNWIND LEG, FOR RWY 17. SEVERE AND SUDDEN TURB OVER THE GENERATING STATION CAUSED A DROP OF ABOUT 300 FT. MY PAX AND I, EVEN THOUGH RESTRAINED BY SEAT BELTS, STRUCK THE OVERHEAD OF THE CABIN. I WAS DAZED BUT CONSCIOUS. MY WIFE WAS CUT ON THE TOP OF HER HEAD, AND THE CUT WAS BLEEDING FREELY. I COMPLETED THE DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL LEGS OF THE PATTERN EXTENDING FLAPS AS RECOMMENDED, BUT I NEGLECTED TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR. MY FIRST REALIZATION OF THIS WAS WHEN THE BELLY OF THE AIRPLANE SCRAPED THE GND. WE SKIDDED IN A STRAIGHT LINE, DEVIATING TO THE R AND OFF THE RWY ONLY AT THE FINAL POS OF THE SKID. THE PLANE CAME TO REST ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY AND TILTED TO THE R WITH THE STARBOARD WING TIP RESTING ON THE GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR MADE AN INTERESTING POINT REF THE STACK THAT WAS OVERFLOWN. FIRST OF ALL, HE HADN'T REALIZED THAT THE STACK WAS THAT HIGH AND THAT ONLY 578 FT OF CLRNC EXISTED. HE HAS FLOWN INTO THAT ARPT VERY OFTEN BUT NEVER HAD EXPERIENCED THE DOWN DRAFT/TURB BECAUSE THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE WAS A NO WIND SITUATION AND HE BORE THE BRUNT OF THE HEAT/THERMAL ARISING FROM THE STACK. HE SAID THAT HE WILL NEVER OVERFLY THAT STACK AGAIN. HIS WIFE'S HEAD TOOK 4 STITCHES AND HE ALSO FELT THAT THE TRAUMA HE EXPERIENCED KEPT HIM FROM PERFORMING HIS CHKLIST PROPERLY.

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