What happened
Following a landing just beyond the runway threshold, the Piper PA-34 yawed to the left and exited the runway. During the excursion, the aircraft collided with a berm and continued past it, eventually coming to rest on the rising wall of a ditch. The aircraft stopped approximately 3,200 feet from where the pilot had reported the initial touchdown. Under the conditions reported, a typical ground roll would have been approximately 2,350 feet.
The investigation
Post-accident investigation found no discrepancies in either the braking system or the nose wheel steering system. Inspection of the main landing gear and nose gear tires revealed striations and flat spots. As part of the mechanical examination, investigators inspected the nose gear of an exemplar Piper PA-34 during a retraction and extension sequence. This inspection showed that the nose gear remained centered throughout its travel and did not cant until it reached the vicinity of the wheel well.