Accident Overview
According to the pilot's account, he was returning the rented airplane to its home base when he overflew the accident airport and decided to land. He checked the winds by observing the windsock before attempting to land on runway 32, which is 1,659 feet long. During the first approach, excessive altitude prompted a go-around. On the second attempt, the pilot executed a forward slip and touched down approximately two-thirds down the runway. He applied brake pressure, but the airplane continued off the end of the runway and struck a fence, substantially damaging the fuselage and wings.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that this was his first landing at that airport and that it was the shortest runway he had ever attempted. He stated that his total flight experience was approximately 90 hours, with about 6 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. When asked how he could have prevented the accident, he said he should have executed a go-around if he was unsure he could land and stop on the remaining runway.
Examination and Additional Details
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and identified no preexisting anomalies with the airplane. The operator who rented the airplane to the pilot restricted landings to runways of at least 3,000 feet in length. Weather data from an airport 12 miles to the northeast recorded calm winds at the time of the accident.