Incident Overview
According to an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot of an airplane reported aborting two previous landing attempts before landing “long” on a 1,700-foot turf runway. During the landing roll, the airplane passed over a “hump” in the runway, became airborne again, then touched down. The pilot applied the brakes, but braking action was ineffective because of freshly-cut grass clippings on the runway surface.
Avoidance Maneuver
To prevent overrunning the departure end of the runway, the pilot intentionally steered the airplane into thick brush and a pond. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Manufacturer's Landing Distance
Interpolation of the airplane manufacturer’s landing distance chart indicated that the required landing distance over a 50-foot obstacle was approximately 1,300 feet. The source does not provide further details about the airplane or the outcome of the incident.