Background
The pilot reported that this landing on runway 32 was his first experience with that runway. The approach was normal until approximately 15 seconds before touchdown, when his eyeglasses broke and fell off his face.
Accident Sequence
In response to the broken eyeglasses, the pilot reached for a spare pair that was placed on top of the instrument panel. However, during this movement, the spare eyeglasses fell to the floor adjacent to the right-seat rudder pedals. The pilot then became preoccupied with retrieving the fallen eyeglasses. As a direct result of this distraction, the aircraft touched down to the left of the runway centerline and at an excessive speed.
After touchdown, the aircraft became airborne again, floating and drifting further left. The left wing subsequently struck small trees located 10 to 15 feet to the left of the runway. Examination of the accident site indicated that the landing gear was on the runway surface when the wing contact with the trees occurred. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the aircraft departed the left side of the runway.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot's preoccupation with retrieving his eyeglasses during the landing approach led to a touchdown left of the runway centerline at excessive speed. This was followed by a loss of directional control and a collision with trees, culminating in a runway excursion.