Accident Details
A pilot departed from his local airport for a personal cross-country flight. The destination airport had a runway oriented north/south. According to the pilot, upon arrival the weather was clear with calm wind. He noted that under such conditions, aircraft typically land and take off to the north because the runway slopes upward in that direction. However, on that day, the traffic pattern was using the south direction for landings and takeoffs.
The pilot decided to follow the prevailing traffic direction and performed a landing to the south. After touchdown, he applied the brakes to compensate for the sloped terrain. At that moment, the left wheel rolled over unidentified debris present on the runway. This caused the pilot to lose directional control of the airplane.
The airplane subsequently veered off the left side of the runway, coming to a stop off the paved surface. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The investigation did not identify any additional contributing factors beyond the debris on the runway and the pilot's subsequent loss of control.