What happened
The accident occurred during the landing phase of flight. Upon touchdown on a grass runway covered with frost, the pilot applied the brakes as normal. However, the airplane failed to stop within the available distance and skidded off the end of the runway.
The aircraft continued down a steep bank into a wooded area. During this excursion, the airplane struck multiple trees. The impact forces were significant enough that the wings separated from the fuselage. According to the pilot's statement, the brakes operated correctly at the time of application, and there was no indication of mechanical malfunction prior to the incident.
The investigation
The investigation relied heavily on the pilot's account regarding the condition of the runway and the operation of the aircraft systems. The pilot confirmed that the runway surface was frost-covered grass. He stated that the brakes functioned as expected during the application, ruling out brake failure as a primary mechanical cause for the skid.
Findings
Contributing factors included the wet and slippery conditions of the grass runway due to frost, which likely reduced braking effectiveness. The steep terrain at the end of the runway exacerbated the severity of the impact after the aircraft exited the paved or graded surface.