Narrative:

Visual approach in VFR conditions to runway 24 at virginia highlands (vji) airport, abingdon, va. Winds were light, variable and thunderstorms had recently been in the area. Entire approach was normal until approximately 200 ft AGL, when I experienced a 15-20 KT loss in airspeed. I added power, but was unable to arrest descent sufficiently to avoid ground contact prior to reaching paved surface. Complicating matters was the existence of a recently backfilled trench which had been dug to bury a wire. The left main landing gear hit this trench, causing the nose to abruptly lower and left propeller tips to strike the ground at 3 separate locations. The nose of the aircraft then rose again prior to reaching pavement, but the left main landing gear struck an approximately 4 inch step from the sod surface to the top of the asphalt, causing the aircraft to vault back into the air a few ft. I completed the landing and taxied in without further incident. I found no obvious damage except for the left propeller tips. The aircraft is presently undergoing further inspection to include at minimum, engine teardown, propeller repair/overhaul/ replacement, and landing gear retraction tests. No NTSB report was deemed necessary. In the future, I must be even more vigilant to be certain to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid this situation and, be aware of possible changing of both wind direction and speed in mountainous terrain, as well as when thunderstorms have been in the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C414 PLT, LNDG ON RWY 24 AT VJI, EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT CAUSING HIM TO HIT SHORT OF THE RWY.

Narrative: VISUAL APCH IN VFR CONDITIONS TO RWY 24 AT VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS (VJI) ARPT, ABINGDON, VA. WINDS WERE LIGHT, VARIABLE AND TSTMS HAD RECENTLY BEEN IN THE AREA. ENTIRE APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL APPROX 200 FT AGL, WHEN I EXPERIENCED A 15-20 KT LOSS IN AIRSPD. I ADDED PWR, BUT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST DSCNT SUFFICIENTLY TO AVOID GND CONTACT PRIOR TO REACHING PAVED SURFACE. COMPLICATING MATTERS WAS THE EXISTENCE OF A RECENTLY BACKFILLED TRENCH WHICH HAD BEEN DUG TO BURY A WIRE. THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR HIT THIS TRENCH, CAUSING THE NOSE TO ABRUPTLY LOWER AND L PROP TIPS TO STRIKE THE GND AT 3 SEPARATE LOCATIONS. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT THEN ROSE AGAIN PRIOR TO REACHING PAVEMENT, BUT THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUCK AN APPROX 4 INCH STEP FROM THE SOD SURFACE TO THE TOP OF THE ASPHALT, CAUSING THE ACFT TO VAULT BACK INTO THE AIR A FEW FT. I COMPLETED THE LNDG AND TAXIED IN WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I FOUND NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR THE L PROP TIPS. THE ACFT IS PRESENTLY UNDERGOING FURTHER INSPECTION TO INCLUDE AT MINIMUM, ENG TEARDOWN, PROP REPAIR/OVERHAUL/ REPLACEMENT, AND LNDG GEAR RETRACTION TESTS. NO NTSB RPT WAS DEEMED NECESSARY. IN THE FUTURE, I MUST BE EVEN MORE VIGILANT TO BE CERTAIN TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPD TO AVOID THIS SIT AND, BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE CHANGING OF BOTH WIND DIRECTION AND SPD IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AS WELL AS WHEN TSTMS HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA.

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.