Flight History
The aircraft, registration JA3919, a Piper PA-28-161, was operated by a private owner. The captain, a 50-year-old male with a private pilot certificate, conducted a familiarization flight with three friends. After taking off at 11:07 JST, the aircraft performed two touch-and-go landings. During the third final landing, the aircraft was unable to stop within the runway and came to rest in a grass overrun area approximately 11 meters beyond the runway end. Before the flight, the captain confirmed weight and balance within limits and performed preflight checks with no anomalies. Wind information was obtained from Ryugasaki Flight Service (180°, 5 kt). The first two landings were with flaps at 40° and 25°, respectively. The captain felt a weak right crosswind. During the third approach, flaps were set at 25° until final approach; the captain intended to use full flaps but did not change due to a lift in the path. Initial approach speed was 70 kt with power idle. The flare was initiated at about one meter above ground, but the aircraft floated, so the captain aborted the flare and flared again, resulting in a slower descent and a farther touchdown point. The touchdown point was beyond the aiming point marking but before the runway midpoint marking. After touchdown, the captain applied brakes gradually, feeling poor brake effectiveness and a sensation of being pushed from behind. He applied maximum braking without locking the wheels but could not stop on the runway. After entering the grass, he released the brakes. The aircraft stopped 11.4 m from the runway end. While taxiing back, the nose gear sank in mud.
Meteorological Information
Wind observations at the airfield: at 12:00, wind direction 180°, velocity 5 kt. Data from Ryugasaki AMeDAS (about 3 km away) showed at 11:50, the time of landing, average wind direction 225°, average velocity 7 kt, maximum instantaneous 11 kt. The runway heading is 086°, so a tailwind component was present.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28-161 (serial number 28-8316040, manufactured January 11, 1983). Total flight time 2,227 hr 32 min. The estimated weight at the time was 2,390 lb, within the maximum landing weight of 2,440 lb, and CG within limits. The landing ground roll distance (LGRD) with maximum braking, flaps 40°, on a paved level dry runway was approximately 630 ft (192 m) in calm conditions and 830 ft (253 m) with a 5 kt tailwind component. The LGRD with flaps 25° is not described in the flight manual. A special inspection after the incident found no failures or anomalies.
Analysis
The analysis indicated that the airspeed during the flare was likely higher than usual, causing a float and a longer touchdown point. The captain did not execute a go-around despite the deviation from the intended touchdown point. The wind conditions were favorable for a tailwind component, increasing ground speed. The captain's brake application, focused on a comfortable ride, may have been insufficient given the reduced runway remaining. The distance from the runway midpoint marking to the end was 400 m, more than 1.5 times the LGRD with a 5 kt tailwind.