Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to attain a touchdown point sufficient to stop the airplane within the length of the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that on final approach he was concerned about trees bracketing each side of the runway's approach end, and he stayed high to clear them. The airplane touched down onto the turf runway, bounced back into the air, and touched down a second time. The pilot applied brakes, realized he was running out of runway, and applied heavier braking. The airplane started to slide and, despite the pilot’s control inputs, overran the end of the runway and impacted a ditch. Subsequently, the left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that on final approach he was concerned about some trees bracketing each side of the runway's approach end and he stayed high to clear them. The airplane touched down onto the turf runway and it bounced back into the air and touched down a second time. The pilot applied brakes and realized he was running out of runway and applied heavy braking. The airplane started to slide and despite the pilot’s control inputs, the airplane overran the end of the runway and impacted a ditch. Subsequently, the left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations.