Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to verify the wind direction and maintain an appropriate approach speed, which resulted in a long landing and subsequent runway excursion.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
Shortly after sunset, the pilot overflew the destination airport to ensure that there was no wildlife on the runway and to check the direction of the windsock. The windsock was dimly lit, and because there was an airplane lined up on one of airport’s runways, he assumed that the wind was favoring that runway. He approached the runway but performed a go-around because he was not lined up with the runway. On the second attempt, he noted that the airplane’s speed was high and as he touched down on the runway, the airplane bounced. On the second bounce, he applied the brakes, and the airplane began to skid before overrunning the runway and impacting vegetation, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s wings. The pilot reported that after the accident, the operator who had rented the airplane to him reviewed the flight data recorded by the airplane’s avionics, which showed that he had landed with a 6-knot tailwind. The pilot also reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident.