Accident Narrative
According to the pilot, during an approach in rain with wind gusts, he retracted the flaps to zero. He stated that he decided to land at a speed faster than the preferred 75-80 mph. The pilot reported that the airplane did not settle into a normal rollout. A few seconds into the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. It continued across the safety area and collided with a drainage culvert.
Investigation Findings
Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector revealed three parallel rubber skid markings that began about 1,500 feet from the approach end of runway 9R. The markings started in the center of the runway and exhibited a sharp left turn that continued along a path through the safety area, stopping at the drainage culvert.
The pilot reported that the left main landing gear assembly and tire failed during the landing roll. However, an examination of the landing gear assembly, wheel, and tire by the FAA Maintenance Inspector identified no anomalies or failures prior to the runway excursion.
The METAR at the accident airport reported that around the time of the accident, the rain was light, and the wind was from 010° at 12 knots. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts.