Narrative:

While flying an ILS approach to runway 35 at ilm during low visibility conditions; I allowed the airplane to make a firm landing that resulted in a nose gear to main gear oscillation. After several oscillations; I added power; stabilized the airplane and touched down smoothly in the remaining runway. After taxiing in and shutting down the engines; I noted that the right propeller tips were bent in about 3 inches from each end. I did not know that I had damaged the propellers on touchdown. I did not discover any other damage to the airframe; gear; or engines. Since there were no injuries and no substantial damage; I did not file an aircraft accident report. The cause was distraction. At about 1000 ft AGL during the approach; I turned off the airplane landing lights to reduce glare from the fog. WX was calm winds and very low visibility in fog. At approach minimums; I acquired sufficient visual cues with approach lights; runway end identifier lights; and runway lights to continue to touchdown. However; just before the flare (around 30 ft AGL) I reached over to turn on the landing lights. I couldn't feel the switch and momentarily looked down towards the switch. When I did this; I allowed the airplane to descend without enough of a flare to completely stop the descent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FIRM TOUCHDOWN FOLLOWING A LOW MINIMUMS APCH TO ILM RESULTS IN A PORPOISE DURING WHICH THE TIPS OF THE R PROP SUFFERED DAMAGE.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 35 AT ILM DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS; I ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO MAKE A FIRM LNDG THAT RESULTED IN A NOSE GEAR TO MAIN GEAR OSCILLATION. AFTER SEVERAL OSCILLATIONS; I ADDED PWR; STABILIZED THE AIRPLANE AND TOUCHED DOWN SMOOTHLY IN THE REMAINING RWY. AFTER TAXIING IN AND SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGS; I NOTED THAT THE R PROP TIPS WERE BENT IN ABOUT 3 INCHES FROM EACH END. I DID NOT KNOW THAT I HAD DAMAGED THE PROPS ON TOUCHDOWN. I DID NOT DISCOVER ANY OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME; GEAR; OR ENGS. SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; I DID NOT FILE AN ACFT ACCIDENT RPT. THE CAUSE WAS DISTR. AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL DURING THE APCH; I TURNED OFF THE AIRPLANE LNDG LIGHTS TO REDUCE GLARE FROM THE FOG. WX WAS CALM WINDS AND VERY LOW VISIBILITY IN FOG. AT APCH MINIMUMS; I ACQUIRED SUFFICIENT VISUAL CUES WITH APCH LIGHTS; RWY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS; AND RWY LIGHTS TO CONTINUE TO TOUCHDOWN. HOWEVER; JUST BEFORE THE FLARE (AROUND 30 FT AGL) I REACHED OVER TO TURN ON THE LNDG LIGHTS. I COULDN'T FEEL THE SWITCH AND MOMENTARILY LOOKED DOWN TOWARDS THE SWITCH. WHEN I DID THIS; I ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DSND WITHOUT ENOUGH OF A FLARE TO COMPLETELY STOP THE DSCNT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.