Incident Details
According to the pilot, after turning final for runway 24, he observed that the aircraft was slightly above the glide path and faster than desired. To compensate, he lowered the nose and extended flaps by an additional 5 degrees. Although the airspeed remained constant at 80 knots, he quickly realized that the aircraft was still high and fast, so he entered a slip maneuver to increase the rate of descent. Despite this, the pilot believed he could still complete the landing even if he touched down past the runway midpoint, and he decided not to initiate a go-around.
During the landing, the pilot estimated that the aircraft touched down at a speed between 58 and 60 knots. At that moment, a strong crosswind from the left pushed the aircraft off the runway. The aircraft subsequently came to rest against several trees.
Witness Report
The airport manager reported hearing the aircraft touch down and noted that it 'sounded very fast.' He looked up and saw the airplane rolling down the runway at a very fast rate of speed. The aircraft then departed the runway and collided with trees.
Wind Conditions
In his written statement, the pilot reported that the winds at the airport were from 110 degrees at 5 knots. For comparison, the winds at the closest aviation weather reporting station were from 160 degrees at 7 knots.