What happened
A private certificated pilot was attempting to land at a remote airstrip located on a mountain ridge. The landing strip, which is oriented southeast/northwest, measures approximately 600 feet in length and 15 feet in width.
The pilot approached the strip from the northwest, landing toward the southeast. The aircraft touched down approximately one-third of the way down the total distance of the runway. Upon application of the brakes, the tires began to slide on wet grass. This caused the aircraft to depart off the end of the landing strip.
Approximately 300 feet beyond the end of the strip, the left main landing gear tire struck a hole, resulting in the left main landing gear being sheared off. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, the left wing, and the left wing lift strut. The pilot later determined via a hand-held wind meter that the landing occurred with a 5 knot tailwind.
Findings
- The pilot was not injured.
- The aircraft departed the runway due to braking action on wet grass.