The left landing gear was damaged when an small aircraft hit a sign on go around.

Attributes
ACN	307982
Time
Date	199506
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vys
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 626 flight time type : 1
ASRS Report	307982
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While I was on final on runway 18 I had a quartering headwind from 230 degrees. I was keeping the necessary correction for the wind drift and I touched the centerline of the runway at 90 KIAS. The aircraft (a piper lance) bounced and touched the second time on the left part of the runway. While I was keeping the right aileron into the wind. The plane bounced again and I realized that we were drifting further to the left. I applied full power and I initiated a go around. It took a second or 2 for the engine to increase its power and, at that moment, the aircraft hit the taxiway sign left of the runway with the left main gear. The aircraft continued flying, but the upper surface of the left wing was not smooth because of the impact. We climbed to 1000 ft MSL and made 2 circles above the airport ramp for the maintenance people of the FBO to see the damaged gear. (I had no indication of down and locked left gear light.) they told me that the gear was just hanging there, not in the proper way. I declared an emergency and decided to land on the grass strip to the left of runway 18. I performed the emergency landing and the airplane stopped near the ramp. We evacuate/evacuationed the airplane. No one of my 4 passenger was injured. I feel that I should have gone around sooner when I recognized the drift. I had no indication of a strong crosswind. The airport windsock was not up all the way. I estimated the wind at 8-10 KTS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE L LNDG GEAR WAS DAMAGED WHEN AN SMA HIT A SIGN ON GAR.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS ON FINAL ON RWY 18 I HAD A QUARTERING HEADWIND FROM 230 DEGS. I WAS KEEPING THE NECESSARY CORRECTION FOR THE WIND DRIFT AND I TOUCHED THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY AT 90 KIAS. THE ACFT (A PIPER LANCE) BOUNCED AND TOUCHED THE SECOND TIME ON THE L PART OF THE RWY. WHILE I WAS KEEPING THE R AILERON INTO THE WIND. THE PLANE BOUNCED AGAIN AND I REALIZED THAT WE WERE DRIFTING FURTHER TO THE L. I APPLIED FULL PWR AND I INITIATED A GAR. IT TOOK A SECOND OR 2 FOR THE ENG TO INCREASE ITS PWR AND, AT THAT MOMENT, THE ACFT HIT THE TXWY SIGN L OF THE RWY WITH THE L MAIN GEAR. THE ACFT CONTINUED FLYING, BUT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE L WING WAS NOT SMOOTH BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT. WE CLBED TO 1000 FT MSL AND MADE 2 CIRCLES ABOVE THE ARPT RAMP FOR THE MAINT PEOPLE OF THE FBO TO SEE THE DAMAGED GEAR. (I HAD NO INDICATION OF DOWN AND LOCKED L GEAR LIGHT.) THEY TOLD ME THAT THE GEAR WAS JUST HANGING THERE, NOT IN THE PROPER WAY. I DECLARED AN EMER AND DECIDED TO LAND ON THE GRASS STRIP TO THE L OF RWY 18. I PERFORMED THE EMER LNDG AND THE AIRPLANE STOPPED NEAR THE RAMP. WE EVACED THE AIRPLANE. NO ONE OF MY 4 PAX WAS INJURED. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND SOONER WHEN I RECOGNIZED THE DRIFT. I HAD NO INDICATION OF A STRONG XWIND. THE ARPT WINDSOCK WAS NOT UP ALL THE WAY. I ESTIMATED THE WIND AT 8-10 KTS.

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.