Landing Incident at Unfamiliar Airport
During a cross-country flight, the pilot decided to make an unscheduled stop at an unfamiliar airport to check en route weather conditions. After circling the airport, the pilot believed the wind indicators favored Runway 31; however, wind conditions were later determined to be calm. Attempts to contact the airport's unicom frequency received no response.
Runway 31 had a downhill slope and featured a 280-foot displaced threshold. The pilot was unaware that only 1,550 feet of runway were available for landing, as the sectional chart indicated the runway length was 1,800 feet. Additionally, the pilot did not know that most pilots preferred Runway 13 when possible, as the downhill slope on Runway 31 could complicate landings.
Landing and Overrun
During the landing, the aircraft touched down near the midfield area of the runway. At that point, the pilot recognized that there might not be sufficient runway remaining to stop. Rather than initiating a go-around, the pilot raised the flaps and applied heavy braking, citing trees beyond the end of the runway as a reason for not aborting the landing. Despite the braking effort, the aircraft continued off the end of the runway and collided with a ditch.