On 4 Oct 2016, a CHAUDOIN GEORGE S RV 10 A was involved in an aviation accident near Portsmouth, NH. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to go around after recognizing that the airplane was high and fast, which resulted in a long landing on a wet runway and a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from NTSB.
A pilot reported landing fast and long on a wet grass runway, unable to stop before exiting the end and impacting a dirt road. Post-accident examination revealed nose gear collapse and substantial firewall damage.
Summary
A pilot reported that during landing, the airplane touched down fast and long on a grass runway. The pilot stated that he was unaware the grass surface was "extremely" wet. The airplane was unable to decelerate sufficiently before departing the end of the runway and colliding with a dirt road.
Details
According to the pilot, the landing was performed with excessive speed and overshot the intended touchdown point. The wet condition of the grass runway was not anticipated, leading to reduced braking effectiveness. The airplane continued beyond the runway boundary and struck a dirt road.
Post-Accident Examination
A subsequent inspection of the airplane documented that the nose landing gear had collapsed. Additionally, the firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. No other factors were identified as contributing to the event.
Contributing factors
Causes
Landing flare — Not attained/maintainedPilot
Other contributing factors
Surface speed/braking — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation