Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to attain a proper touchdown point while landing, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that he overflew the airport to observe the wind direction before beginning a final approach. During the landing on the 1,700-ft-long turf runway, the airplane floated and landed about 566 ft down the runway. He applied the brakes but was unable to stop. The airplane exited the runway, traversed across a road and impacted a swale before coming to rest in a grassy area about 175 ft from the departure end of the runway. The airplane’s fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He further stated that a better understanding of short field operations could have prevented the accident.