Summary of Event
A Piper PA-28 pilot canceled his instrument flight rules clearance and descended for a visual flight rules approach to a 2,300-foot-long turf airstrip. The pilot was aware that rain had previously fallen at the airport.
Flight Details
Before landing, the pilot conducted a low pass along the runway to assess airport conditions. He observed the wind sock to be limp and did not see any standing water on the runway. He then completed another circuit of the traffic pattern and executed a stable approach with full flaps deployed. On final approach, the pilot reported a normal sight picture with sufficient runway for a normal ground roll. Touchdown occurred with approximately 1,500 feet of runway remaining.
Landing and Overrun
After touchdown, the pilot recognized reduced braking effectiveness due to the wet grass and applied heavy braking. Despite this, the airplane overran the runway, crossed a road, and impacted trees.
Performance Information
For a dry paved runway, the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) indicated a total landing distance of approximately 1,300 feet, which included a ground roll of about 800 feet. The POH did not contain any qualitative or quantitative landing distance information for turf, wet, or wet turf runways.