Narrative:

Approach advised 'expect visual approach.' field in sight; I canceled IFR and entered the left pattern via 45 degree entry to downwind. ATC advised 'winds calm' and I noted a limp windsock on the field; previous wind had been from 30-45 degrees. I noted a slight wind pushing me into the runway; so I crabbed out to keep the distance. Turned base and final. On final; the wind drift seemed to be abating. By short final; no crab angle was required; alignment good; speed on; descent rate good. I crossed the threshold and the aircraft was settling nicely. I flared and waited for the wheels to squeak. Before touching down; the nose rose abruptly; blocking my view of the runway lights at the far end of the field; and the aircraft yawed to the right. I added power; left aileron and slight nose down and left wing and nose came down. I pulled the power and the right main tire touched down hard. The nosewheel hit next; accompanied by a scraping sound. The left main touched down hard. Not knowing what the scraping sound was (fearing a propeller strike) and being on the ground with directional control; I chose to keep the aircraft on the ground. Upon stopping the engine; a propeller strike was confirmed. In addition; the right inner and outer gear doors are bent; the left inner gear door is bent and the bottom shock disk in the nose gear has been ruptured. I believe that a gust of wind arrived just after I flared for landing. I had encountered no gusts and was not prepared for it. In hindsight; I should have requested the GPS runway 6 approach from ATC. The longer final approach leg might have revealed the gusty condition; which might have permitted me to be better prepared for what awaited me at the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY 20 PILOT REPORTS HARD LANDING AFTER NIGHT VISUAL APPROACH CAUSING AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND PROP STRIKE. WIND GUST IS CITED AS POSSIBLE CAUSE.

Narrative: APCH ADVISED 'EXPECT VISUAL APCH.' FIELD IN SIGHT; I CANCELED IFR AND ENTERED THE L PATTERN VIA 45 DEG ENTRY TO DOWNWIND. ATC ADVISED 'WINDS CALM' AND I NOTED A LIMP WINDSOCK ON THE FIELD; PREVIOUS WIND HAD BEEN FROM 30-45 DEGS. I NOTED A SLIGHT WIND PUSHING ME INTO THE RWY; SO I CRABBED OUT TO KEEP THE DISTANCE. TURNED BASE AND FINAL. ON FINAL; THE WIND DRIFT SEEMED TO BE ABATING. BY SHORT FINAL; NO CRAB ANGLE WAS REQUIRED; ALIGNMENT GOOD; SPD ON; DSCNT RATE GOOD. I CROSSED THE THRESHOLD AND THE ACFT WAS SETTLING NICELY. I FLARED AND WAITED FOR THE WHEELS TO SQUEAK. BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN; THE NOSE ROSE ABRUPTLY; BLOCKING MY VIEW OF THE RWY LIGHTS AT THE FAR END OF THE FIELD; AND THE ACFT YAWED TO THE R. I ADDED PWR; L AILERON AND SLIGHT NOSE DOWN AND L WING AND NOSE CAME DOWN. I PULLED THE PWR AND THE R MAIN TIRE TOUCHED DOWN HARD. THE NOSEWHEEL HIT NEXT; ACCOMPANIED BY A SCRAPING SOUND. THE L MAIN TOUCHED DOWN HARD. NOT KNOWING WHAT THE SCRAPING SOUND WAS (FEARING A PROP STRIKE) AND BEING ON THE GND WITH DIRECTIONAL CTL; I CHOSE TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE GND. UPON STOPPING THE ENG; A PROP STRIKE WAS CONFIRMED. IN ADDITION; THE R INNER AND OUTER GEAR DOORS ARE BENT; THE L INNER GEAR DOOR IS BENT AND THE BOTTOM SHOCK DISK IN THE NOSE GEAR HAS BEEN RUPTURED. I BELIEVE THAT A GUST OF WIND ARRIVED JUST AFTER I FLARED FOR LNDG. I HAD ENCOUNTERED NO GUSTS AND WAS NOT PREPARED FOR IT. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED THE GPS RWY 6 APCH FROM ATC. THE LONGER FINAL APCH LEG MIGHT HAVE REVEALED THE GUSTY CONDITION; WHICH MIGHT HAVE PERMITTED ME TO BE BETTER PREPARED FOR WHAT AWAITED ME AT THE RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.