On May 29, 1982, a Douglas DC-3A (registration N129H) operated by Mark J. Borghorst was involved in an aviation accident near Sandwich, IL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot returning from a parachute jumping flight chose a wet grass runway to avoid tire wear, but the aircraft overran the 1800 ft strip and collided with brush and trees.
Landing Decision
After completing a parachute jumping flight, the pilot decided to land on an 1800 ft grass runway rather than an available 3000 ft asphalt runway. The pilot reported that the grass runway was chosen to minimize tire wear.
Environmental Conditions
At the time of landing, the grass surface was wet. The pilot reported light rain and calm wind. A 30 ft powerline was present at the approach end of the grass runway.
Landing and Excursion
The aircraft touched down approximately 200 ft from the approach end of the runway. The pilot was unable to bring the aircraft to a stop within the remaining distance. The airplane continued off the end of the runway and collided with brush and trees.
Performance Reference
The computed landing distance over a 50 ft obstacle on a hard runway for this type of operation was about 1500 ft. The actual landing distance on the wet grass surface exceeded the available runway length.