What happened
On September 1, 2024, at approximately 1520 central daylight time, a Diamond DA42, registration N705JP, was involved in an accident near Mandan, North Dakota. The aircraft was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 for a personal flight.
The pilot departed Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS) and received vectors for an RNAV 31 approach to Mandan Regional Airport (Y19). The pilot reported that the landing on runway 31 was uneventful, touching down approximately 100 feet past the runway numbers. Upon attempting to decelerate, the pilot noted that the brakes were unresponsive, only becoming somewhat responsive as the aircraft approached the end of the runway.
A passenger on board noted that the landing was so smooth they did not realize the aircraft had touched down until the nose wheel shimmied. The passenger also observed that while the landing roll initially seemed normal, the expected deceleration did not occur.
The aircraft exited the paved runway surface and struck a runway end identifier light (REIL), causing substantial damage to the fuselage. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger. An inspection of the runway by the airport manager revealed visible tire skid marks leading off the end of the runway.
ADS-B data confirmed the aircraft departed runway 13 at BIS, climbed to 4,500 feet MSL, and approached runway 31 at Y19 with a touchdown ground speed of approximately 118 knots. Weather conditions at the time were VMC with winds from 170 degrees at 7 knots and visibility of 10 statute miles.