Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control while landing on a wet turf runway, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to ensure the passenger’s proper use of seatbelts before the landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that while landing on a wet turf runway, the airplane began to skid. He initiated a go-around and then determined that he would not be able to clear the trees at the end of the runway. The pilot aborted the go-around and the airplane landed on the remaining runway, continued off the end of the runway, and impacted trees. The airplane came to rest upright on the ground in a grove of trees. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. During the accident sequence an un-restrained passenger sustained a serious injury, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that he provided the passenger a briefing on the use of the seatbelts before the accident; however, he did not confirm the passenger was wearing the seatbelts before landing. The passenger had unfastened the seatbelt during the flight.