Incident Details
During the landing on an unimproved mountain airstrip, the pilot purposefully refrained from applying the brakes. His plan was to allow the airplane to coast to the runway's end, then take off in the opposite direction downhill. The pilot did not recognize the termination of the runway until the final moment, when he applied braking force and full right rudder deflection. The airplane subsequently departed the runway surface and collided with a ditch.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, he had spotted the red runway end marker from the air. However, the marker was obscured by tall grass, making it difficult to discern until it was too late. The pilot further noted that there were no mechanical anomalies with the aircraft or its flight control system.
Aircraft Damage
The collision with the ditch caused the left main landing gear to collapse. The aircraft sustained substantial damage specifically to the left main landing gear assembly.