Narrative:

After participating in a special event at macdill airport, I was told the only fuel available would be at peter knight field approximately 4 mi north. I expressed my concerns numerous times and requested refueling at macdill, but was denied. After studying the runway and surrounding area and checking the winds at macdill at least 3 times with the WX specialist, I elected to go to peter knight for fuel. The runway was 200 ft shorter than the shortest runway (3600 ft) I had previously landed on although that runway was at 5000 ft MSL. This 3400 ft runway was at sea level. I departed macdill and entered a midfield downwind for runway 21 at knight (I departed runway 22 at macdill). I made sure to touch down on speed, on 'the numbers.' as I rolled out, I began to drift left. I continued to try to correct my direction to centerline but as I saw that I was approaching the runway's left edge, I applied power and elected to go around. After takeoff, I turned left to avoid oncoming obstacles since I was left of centerline. I was at a very low speed, controling the aircraft. Once sufficient altitude was gained, I retracted the gear and flaps and elected to not attempt another landing at knight but to go to tpa. After contacting approach control, I landed at tpa without incident. Unbeknownst to me, the line crewman pointed out I had scraped the gear door's bottom 4 inches on the leading edge and bent 2 inches of the rim of the tailwheel. I thought I had contacted the edge of the runway, but the next day after visiting with the knight field airport manager, I had found I had contacted 2 taxiway lights, and a small pipe leading from the fuel area with my main gear. I had absolutely no idea I had struck anything during my aborted landing attempt. Contributing factors: 1) my decision to fly into an airport, contrary to my instincts, for free fuel. 2) not listening to my 'inner voice of concern' and not being conservative with the aircraft in consideration of my experience. 3) financial pressure of free fuel -- I am on a tight budget with the operation of this plane. 4) unfamiliarity with the area, and late afternoon WX conditions which spawn sea breezes and gusty winds, 90 degrees to the runway of intended landing. Human performance: hesitation on the aborted landing decision. Once things began to go awry, I should've immediately aborted the landing. However, I tried to 'complete the mission' and land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NORTH AMERICAN T6 PLT LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL DURING LNDG AT A NON TWR ARPT RESULTING IN DAMAGING THE MAIN WHEEL GEAR DOORS AND TXWY LIGHTS DURING A GAR.

Narrative: AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A SPECIAL EVENT AT MACDILL ARPT, I WAS TOLD THE ONLY FUEL AVAILABLE WOULD BE AT PETER KNIGHT FIELD APPROX 4 MI N. I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS NUMEROUS TIMES AND REQUESTED REFUELING AT MACDILL, BUT WAS DENIED. AFTER STUDYING THE RWY AND SURROUNDING AREA AND CHKING THE WINDS AT MACDILL AT LEAST 3 TIMES WITH THE WX SPECIALIST, I ELECTED TO GO TO PETER KNIGHT FOR FUEL. THE RWY WAS 200 FT SHORTER THAN THE SHORTEST RWY (3600 FT) I HAD PREVIOUSLY LANDED ON ALTHOUGH THAT RWY WAS AT 5000 FT MSL. THIS 3400 FT RWY WAS AT SEA LEVEL. I DEPARTED MACDILL AND ENTERED A MIDFIELD DOWNWIND FOR RWY 21 AT KNIGHT (I DEPARTED RWY 22 AT MACDILL). I MADE SURE TO TOUCH DOWN ON SPD, ON 'THE NUMBERS.' AS I ROLLED OUT, I BEGAN TO DRIFT L. I CONTINUED TO TRY TO CORRECT MY DIRECTION TO CTRLINE BUT AS I SAW THAT I WAS APCHING THE RWY'S L EDGE, I APPLIED PWR AND ELECTED TO GAR. AFTER TKOF, I TURNED LEFT TO AVOID ONCOMING OBSTACLES SINCE I WAS L OF CTRLINE. I WAS AT A VERY LOW SPD, CTLING THE ACFT. ONCE SUFFICIENT ALT WAS GAINED, I RETRACTED THE GEAR AND FLAPS AND ELECTED TO NOT ATTEMPT ANOTHER LNDG AT KNIGHT BUT TO GO TO TPA. AFTER CONTACTING APCH CTL, I LANDED AT TPA WITHOUT INCIDENT. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, THE LINE CREWMAN POINTED OUT I HAD SCRAPED THE GEAR DOOR'S BOTTOM 4 INCHES ON THE LEADING EDGE AND BENT 2 INCHES OF THE RIM OF THE TAILWHEEL. I THOUGHT I HAD CONTACTED THE EDGE OF THE RWY, BUT THE NEXT DAY AFTER VISITING WITH THE KNIGHT FIELD ARPT MGR, I HAD FOUND I HAD CONTACTED 2 TXWY LIGHTS, AND A SMALL PIPE LEADING FROM THE FUEL AREA WITH MY MAIN GEAR. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA I HAD STRUCK ANYTHING DURING MY ABORTED LNDG ATTEMPT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) MY DECISION TO FLY INTO AN ARPT, CONTRARY TO MY INSTINCTS, FOR FREE FUEL. 2) NOT LISTENING TO MY 'INNER VOICE OF CONCERN' AND NOT BEING CONSERVATIVE WITH THE ACFT IN CONSIDERATION OF MY EXPERIENCE. 3) FINANCIAL PRESSURE OF FREE FUEL -- I AM ON A TIGHT BUDGET WITH THE OP OF THIS PLANE. 4) UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA, AND LATE AFTERNOON WX CONDITIONS WHICH SPAWN SEA BREEZES AND GUSTY WINDS, 90 DEGS TO THE RWY OF INTENDED LNDG. HUMAN PERFORMANCE: HESITATION ON THE ABORTED LNDG DECISION. ONCE THINGS BEGAN TO GO AWRY, I SHOULD'VE IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE LNDG. HOWEVER, I TRIED TO 'COMPLETE THE MISSION' AND LAND.

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.