Narrative:

On a VFR flight from bermuda dunes to fullerton, I was cleared by the tower controller to fly a straight in approach to runway 24. The approach was uneventful, but as I approached the short final, traffic that had been cleared to land ahead of me did not clear the runway, and I was instructed to 'go around.' I executed the go around procedure. On right downwind, 1100' AGL, about midfield, the controller instructed me to 'make a short approach.' I always try to comply with the controller's requests and did on this occasion as well, turning right at the runway 24 threshold, and making a short approach. I apparently miscalculated the shortness of the approach, and came in too hot, touched down before midfield, and was unable to stop in time. I was able to make a left turn, but skidded off into the gravel at the end of runway 24, knocking down a sign and a lighted directional box. I stopped about 10' past the end of the runway. The engine was still running, and there was at the time no apparent damage to the aircraft. I taxied out of the gravel to the runup area shut down, and examined the aircraft. Other than some black marks on the right wheel pant, and the tip of the propeller, there appeared to be no significant damage. The contributing factors were as follows. The temperature was 103 degree, indicating a density altitude of 2821'. The field elevation is 93'. The only runway at fullerton is only 3200' long, plenty for normal operations, but there is little margin for error on hot days, larger twins, etc. I was in an small aircraft. I had selected 20 degree flaps for the landing, but the flaps apparently did not come down. The controller from the tower said that he had noticed only one notch of flaps, but the flaps appeared to start down again while I was on the runway. I cannot verify this, but there may have been flap malfunction. This could easily have resulted in my not being able to stop in time. Human performance considerations were as follows. When the controller asked me to 'make a short approach,' I should have just said 'unable,' rather than trying to accommodate him with grievous results. As the PIC, I am responsible for the safe conduct of the flight, and cannot let anything get in the way of that. I was not aware of the possible flap malfunction. People often rely on unconscious perceptions, whether or not something 'feels right.' this can easily lead to an accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LONG LNDG AND RWY EXCURSION CAUSING MINOR ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: ON A VFR FLT FROM BERMUDA DUNES TO FULLERTON, I WAS CLRED BY THE TWR CTLR TO FLY A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 24. THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL, BUT AS I APCHED THE SHORT FINAL, TFC THAT HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND AHEAD OF ME DID NOT CLR THE RWY, AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'GO AROUND.' I EXECUTED THE GO AROUND PROC. ON RIGHT DOWNWIND, 1100' AGL, ABOUT MIDFIELD, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO 'MAKE A SHORT APCH.' I ALWAYS TRY TO COMPLY WITH THE CTLR'S REQUESTS AND DID ON THIS OCCASION AS WELL, TURNING RIGHT AT THE RWY 24 THRESHOLD, AND MAKING A SHORT APCH. I APPARENTLY MISCALCULATED THE SHORTNESS OF THE APCH, AND CAME IN TOO HOT, TOUCHED DOWN BEFORE MIDFIELD, AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, BUT SKIDDED OFF INTO THE GRAVEL AT THE END OF RWY 24, KNOCKING DOWN A SIGN AND A LIGHTED DIRECTIONAL BOX. I STOPPED ABOUT 10' PAST THE END OF THE RWY. THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING, AND THERE WAS AT THE TIME NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I TAXIED OUT OF THE GRAVEL TO THE RUNUP AREA SHUT DOWN, AND EXAMINED THE ACFT. OTHER THAN SOME BLACK MARKS ON THE RIGHT WHEEL PANT, AND THE TIP OF THE PROPELLER, THERE APPEARED TO BE NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE AS FOLLOWS. THE TEMP WAS 103 DEG, INDICATING A DENSITY ALT OF 2821'. THE FIELD ELEVATION IS 93'. THE ONLY RWY AT FULLERTON IS ONLY 3200' LONG, PLENTY FOR NORMAL OPS, BUT THERE IS LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR ON HOT DAYS, LARGER TWINS, ETC. I WAS IN AN SMA. I HAD SELECTED 20 DEG FLAPS FOR THE LNDG, BUT THE FLAPS APPARENTLY DID NOT COME DOWN. THE CTLR FROM THE TWR SAID THAT HE HAD NOTICED ONLY ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS, BUT THE FLAPS APPEARED TO START DOWN AGAIN WHILE I WAS ON THE RWY. I CANNOT VERIFY THIS, BUT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN FLAP MALFUNCTION. THIS COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN MY NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP IN TIME. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS. WHEN THE CTLR ASKED ME TO 'MAKE A SHORT APCH,' I SHOULD HAVE JUST SAID 'UNABLE,' RATHER THAN TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE HIM WITH GRIEVOUS RESULTS. AS THE PIC, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE CONDUCT OF THE FLT, AND CANNOT LET ANYTHING GET IN THE WAY OF THAT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE FLAP MALFUNCTION. PEOPLE OFTEN RELY ON UNCONSCIOUS PERCEPTIONS, WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING 'FEELS RIGHT.' THIS CAN EASILY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.

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