On May 3, 2001, at 2040 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T210N, N6425N, veered off the runway while landing on runway 28, and struck a landing light and taxiway sign at the Truckee-Tahoe Airport, Truckee, California. The airplane was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that departed Oakland, California, at 1920. The flight was scheduled to terminate at the Truckee-Tahoe Airport. No flight plan had been filed. The pilot stated that the airplane landed hard on the first attempt, and the landing was aborted. On the second attempt, the airplane landed hard again, the pilot lost directional control, and the horizontal stabilizer was damaged after it struck a landing light and taxiway sign. The Safety Board Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) interviewed a witness to the accident. The witness stated that the airplane made a hard landing and departed the runway where it struck a sign, and then it took off again with the sign embedded in the airplane. The airplane went around in the pattern and landed normally. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducted an on-scene investigation. He reported that part of a taxiway sign was embedded in the horizontal stabilizer and compression wrinkles were observed on the left side of the airplane near the baggage door.