Narrative:

Lakeside runway is over 2600 ft but with a displaced threshold is effectively 2000 ft. Under the conditions that day, the aztec manual showed I needed at least 1500 ft for a safe landing. Therefore, my approach and airspeed had to be very accurate and it was until I was on very short final. I had cleared the trees and had an 'on target' approach when I reduced the power too early which caused the airplane to start sinking fast. I immediately pulled back on the yoke, but the downward momentum was not stopped soon enough and landed hard. I recovered immediately with same power, then power off and came to a stop a little over halfway down the runway. I taxied to the ramp and shut down. We got out of the airplane to check the landing gear shocks and all landing gear looked normal. It wasn't until several mins later that the right propeller was noticed to have tip scrapes. The damage on the propeller tips was very small. Each tip had a very small or partial curl, less than a 30 degree arc. The propeller blade had a very shallow bend about 4 inches from the tip. The mechanics at lakeside filed the tips smooth and all of us agreed it was safe to fly back to my home port at hartford-brainard where we have our maintenance done. I flew the aztec back alone and everything was normal except the right throttle was more difficult to move than normal. I flew at reduced power to minimize stresses on the propeller. There was no noticeable vibration from the right engine, both visually and by smoothness in the cockpit. The landing at hartford-brainard was normal. The landing at lakeside airport would have been completed without a problem had I left some power on the engines until I leveled off just above the runway and then cut the power.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HARD LNDG.

Narrative: LAKESIDE RWY IS OVER 2600 FT BUT WITH A DISPLACED THRESHOLD IS EFFECTIVELY 2000 FT. UNDER THE CONDITIONS THAT DAY, THE AZTEC MANUAL SHOWED I NEEDED AT LEAST 1500 FT FOR A SAFE LNDG. THEREFORE, MY APCH AND AIRSPD HAD TO BE VERY ACCURATE AND IT WAS UNTIL I WAS ON VERY SHORT FINAL. I HAD CLRED THE TREES AND HAD AN 'ON TARGET' APCH WHEN I REDUCED THE PWR TOO EARLY WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO START SINKING FAST. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE, BUT THE DOWNWARD MOMENTUM WAS NOT STOPPED SOON ENOUGH AND LANDED HARD. I RECOVERED IMMEDIATELY WITH SAME PWR, THEN PWR OFF AND CAME TO A STOP A LITTLE OVER HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY. I TAXIED TO THE RAMP AND SHUT DOWN. WE GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE TO CHK THE LNDG GEAR SHOCKS AND ALL LNDG GEAR LOOKED NORMAL. IT WASN'T UNTIL SEVERAL MINS LATER THAT THE R PROP WAS NOTICED TO HAVE TIP SCRAPES. THE DAMAGE ON THE PROP TIPS WAS VERY SMALL. EACH TIP HAD A VERY SMALL OR PARTIAL CURL, LESS THAN A 30 DEG ARC. THE PROP BLADE HAD A VERY SHALLOW BEND ABOUT 4 INCHES FROM THE TIP. THE MECHS AT LAKESIDE FILED THE TIPS SMOOTH AND ALL OF US AGREED IT WAS SAFE TO FLY BACK TO MY HOME PORT AT HARTFORD-BRAINARD WHERE WE HAVE OUR MAINT DONE. I FLEW THE AZTEC BACK ALONE AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL EXCEPT THE R THROTTLE WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO MOVE THAN NORMAL. I FLEW AT REDUCED PWR TO MINIMIZE STRESSES ON THE PROP. THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE VIBRATION FROM THE R ENG, BOTH VISUALLY AND BY SMOOTHNESS IN THE COCKPIT. THE LNDG AT HARTFORD-BRAINARD WAS NORMAL. THE LNDG AT LAKESIDE ARPT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITHOUT A PROB HAD I LEFT SOME PWR ON THE ENGS UNTIL I LEVELED OFF JUST ABOVE THE RWY AND THEN CUT THE PWR.

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.