Narrative:

I am a charter pilot working on CFI to become an assistant chief flight instructor. I was asked to fly to mco in the B24R to drop off a flight crew to pick up a jet from maintenance. I had about 7 hours in the airplane and was still uncomfortable with landing the airplane since the flight characteristics are those of a rock and not what I am used to. I was convinced (by the crew I was dropping off) that 'I'm an ATP and should be able to fly a little plane.' I agreed on the condition I would be back before dark since I had not flown it at night and wasn't comfortable during the day. I didn't have a warm and fuzzy feeling so I did some touch-and-goes during the afternoon with an instructor and they were ok. I went another step for safety and arranged for a flight instructor to fly down and back with me. That would have improved my comfort level significantly. Things didn't work out at the last min and another passenger was substituted. We left at XA30 and I knew it would be pushing daylight to make the trip down and back before it got dark. The trip down was uneventful and I launched out of mco about XC15; which was only 15 mins or so before sunset. I had a tailwind and was hoping to arrive before real darkness set in. I arrived at crg about XD30. It was VFR; good visibility; less than 5 KTS of wind. Being solo; I made real sure I took things slow and in advance. I put the gear down 5 mi out and made sure I got all 3 notches of flaps in and the propeller up well before landing. It was a good approach and good touchdown but I let the nose drop and it began porpoising. I pulled a little back stick to raise the nose like I had been instructed to during my training flts. Unfortunately; I got airborne again. I added some power to cushion the landing and leveled off a few ft above the runway. I reduced power to allow the airplane to settle to the runway but either struck nosewheel first or on the mains with the nosewheel bouncing forward; I can't really remember. Either way; the nose gear collapsed and I ended up sliding down the runway. I suffered no injuries; there was no fuel leakage or fire. There was no structural damage; it was mainly limited to propeller and nose gear. I think contributing factors would include: 1) letting myself get talked into doing something I wasn't comfortable with (social factor: peer pressure). 2) the other pilots for using peer pressure to get me to do it. 3) being dispatched to do a flight I was marginally qualified for (new to airplane and no night time in it (management)). 4) taking off from mco hoping I would arrive before true darkness (get homeitis; or trying to get the mission complete). In retrospect; I should have spent the night. It may not have looked good professionally but certainly better than what happened. 5) circumventing the safety margin I took when I arranged for an instructor to go with me and putting a non-essential passenger aboard instead. 6) the other pilots' delaying initial takeoff waiting for the non essential passenger to arrive; thus making return after dark. 7) trying to salvage the landing instead of going around. When I got airborne; I should have added maximum power instead of trying to let the airplane settle to the deck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PLT OF BE24 DAMAGES PROP AND NOSE GEAR DURING PORPOISED NIGHT LNDG.

Narrative: I AM A CHARTER PLT WORKING ON CFI TO BECOME AN ASSISTANT CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR. I WAS ASKED TO FLY TO MCO IN THE B24R TO DROP OFF A FLT CREW TO PICK UP A JET FROM MAINT. I HAD ABOUT 7 HRS IN THE AIRPLANE AND WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH LNDG THE AIRPLANE SINCE THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS ARE THOSE OF A ROCK AND NOT WHAT I AM USED TO. I WAS CONVINCED (BY THE CREW I WAS DROPPING OFF) THAT 'I'M AN ATP AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO FLY A LITTLE PLANE.' I AGREED ON THE CONDITION I WOULD BE BACK BEFORE DARK SINCE I HAD NOT FLOWN IT AT NIGHT AND WASN'T COMFORTABLE DURING THE DAY. I DIDN'T HAVE A WARM AND FUZZY FEELING SO I DID SOME TOUCH-AND-GOES DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND THEY WERE OK. I WENT ANOTHER STEP FOR SAFETY AND ARRANGED FOR A FLT INSTRUCTOR TO FLY DOWN AND BACK WITH ME. THAT WOULD HAVE IMPROVED MY COMFORT LEVEL SIGNIFICANTLY. THINGS DIDN'T WORK OUT AT THE LAST MIN AND ANOTHER PAX WAS SUBSTITUTED. WE LEFT AT XA30 AND I KNEW IT WOULD BE PUSHING DAYLIGHT TO MAKE THE TRIP DOWN AND BACK BEFORE IT GOT DARK. THE TRIP DOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I LAUNCHED OUT OF MCO ABOUT XC15; WHICH WAS ONLY 15 MINS OR SO BEFORE SUNSET. I HAD A TAILWIND AND WAS HOPING TO ARRIVE BEFORE REAL DARKNESS SET IN. I ARRIVED AT CRG ABOUT XD30. IT WAS VFR; GOOD VISIBILITY; LESS THAN 5 KTS OF WIND. BEING SOLO; I MADE REAL SURE I TOOK THINGS SLOW AND IN ADVANCE. I PUT THE GEAR DOWN 5 MI OUT AND MADE SURE I GOT ALL 3 NOTCHES OF FLAPS IN AND THE PROP UP WELL BEFORE LNDG. IT WAS A GOOD APCH AND GOOD TOUCHDOWN BUT I LET THE NOSE DROP AND IT BEGAN PORPOISING. I PULLED A LITTLE BACK STICK TO RAISE THE NOSE LIKE I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DURING MY TRAINING FLTS. UNFORTUNATELY; I GOT AIRBORNE AGAIN. I ADDED SOME PWR TO CUSHION THE LNDG AND LEVELED OFF A FEW FT ABOVE THE RWY. I REDUCED PWR TO ALLOW THE AIRPLANE TO SETTLE TO THE RWY BUT EITHER STRUCK NOSEWHEEL FIRST OR ON THE MAINS WITH THE NOSEWHEEL BOUNCING FORWARD; I CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER. EITHER WAY; THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND I ENDED UP SLIDING DOWN THE RWY. I SUFFERED NO INJURIES; THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKAGE OR FIRE. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE; IT WAS MAINLY LIMITED TO PROP AND NOSE GEAR. I THINK CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WOULD INCLUDE: 1) LETTING MYSELF GET TALKED INTO DOING SOMETHING I WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH (SOCIAL FACTOR: PEER PRESSURE). 2) THE OTHER PLTS FOR USING PEER PRESSURE TO GET ME TO DO IT. 3) BEING DISPATCHED TO DO A FLT I WAS MARGINALLY QUALIFIED FOR (NEW TO AIRPLANE AND NO NIGHT TIME IN IT (MGMNT)). 4) TAKING OFF FROM MCO HOPING I WOULD ARRIVE BEFORE TRUE DARKNESS (GET HOMEITIS; OR TRYING TO GET THE MISSION COMPLETE). IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE SPENT THE NIGHT. IT MAY NOT HAVE LOOKED GOOD PROFESSIONALLY BUT CERTAINLY BETTER THAN WHAT HAPPENED. 5) CIRCUMVENTING THE SAFETY MARGIN I TOOK WHEN I ARRANGED FOR AN INSTRUCTOR TO GO WITH ME AND PUTTING A NON-ESSENTIAL PAX ABOARD INSTEAD. 6) THE OTHER PLTS' DELAYING INITIAL TKOF WAITING FOR THE NON ESSENTIAL PAX TO ARRIVE; THUS MAKING RETURN AFTER DARK. 7) TRYING TO SALVAGE THE LNDG INSTEAD OF GOING AROUND. WHEN I GOT AIRBORNE; I SHOULD HAVE ADDED MAX PWR INSTEAD OF TRYING TO LET THE AIRPLANE SETTLE TO THE DECK.

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.