What happened
The pilot arrived at a private airstrip and circled the runway to assess conditions before deciding it was suitable for landing. The aircraft touched down approximately 400 feet down the runway, initially achieving normal deceleration through the use of brakes and aerodynamic braking. However, shortly thereafter, the rate of deceleration slowed and ground speed increased despite the pilot verifying that the throttles were at idle and the aircraft configuration was correct.
The aircraft traveled off the end of the runway, striking a post and entering a ditch. It continued over a two-lane highway before coming to rest in a second ditch. The nose gear was sheared off during this sequence. Contributing factors included the pilot being originally informed that the airstrip was 3,000 feet long when it was actually only 2,250 feet long. Additionally, the grass on the runway was wet from morning dew, and a 5-knot tailwind was present. An aborted landing was not performed due to power lines located at the end of the runway.
The investigation
The investigation confirmed that the nose gear was sheared off when the aircraft contacted a ditch during an overrun landing. The physical evidence supported the narrative that the aircraft traveled beyond the paved surface, impacting infrastructure and terrain features before stopping.
Findings
The primary finding relates to the discrepancy in runway length information provided to the pilot versus the actual physical dimensions of the airstrip. This misinformation, combined with reduced braking efficiency due to wet grass and a tailwind, led to the overrun. The presence of power lines at the end of the runway prevented a go-around maneuver.
Safety message
Pilots must verify runway length information from reliable sources prior to approach, especially at private or uncontrolled airstrips where published data may be inaccurate or outdated. Environmental conditions such as wet grass and tailwinds significantly increase landing distance requirements.