What happened
On 10 September 2017, a Piper PA-30A Twin Comanche, registration N7EY, was conducting a private flight to Farley Farm Airstrip in Hampshire for scheduled maintenance. After departing from White Waltham and flying near the Isle of Wight, the pilot approached the airfield to land on Runway 06. The runway at this location is a 760 m grass strip that features an upslope for landings on Runway 06.
Upon arrival, the pilot performed a low pass to check for obstacles and joined the circuit. The aircraft touched down approximately 200 m into the runway. During the landing roll, the pilot applied the brakes, but the aircraft failed to decelerate as anticipated. As the aircraft approached the end of the runway, the pilot attempted to ground loop the plane to avoid the perimeter, but the aircraft instead slid sideways into a hedgerow. The impact caused damage to the right aileron, the flap, and the right landing gear leg, which folded inward. There were no injuries to the two occupants.
The investigation
The investigation examined the runway conditions and meteorological data. The grass surface was noted to be damp and soft following recent wet weather. Wind reports from nearby Southampton Airport indicated a surface wind of 230° at 15 kt, with variations between 200° and 260°. By 1220 hrs, winds were reported to be gusting up to 26 kt. The investigation also noted that a similar overrun involving a tailwind had occurred at the same airfield in 2005.