Approach and Landing
An airpark resident and pilot who landed on the same single 2,280-foot sod runway approximately 20 minutes before the accident reported that thunderstorms were rapidly approaching the airport from the west. Light rain had begun to fall, and the wind had shifted from south to north. Witnesses observed the accident airplane enter a left base for runway 18 from overhead the airport and touch down near the midpoint of the runway.
Sequence of Events
According to a passenger on board, the pilot yelled to her to hold on, stating that they were not going to get stopped. The airplane then skidded off the end of the runway, through a chain-link fence, and into a thicket of trees. The collision with the trees destroyed the right wing and the nose section, displacing the instrument panel rearward.
Postcrash Examination
A postcrash examination of the airplane's engines, engine controls, propellers, brake system, and flight control systems revealed no precrash failures or malfunctions.