Ryan NAVION N4943K accident near Rockville, Indiana

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to attain the proper touchdown point during landing, which resulted in a runway overrun.

NTSB analysis

Before landing, the pilot overflew the airport and checked the runway environment. The pilot’s friend, who was flying another airplane, landed first on the 2,160-foot-long grass runway. The pilot then attempted to land on the same runway but aborted the first approach after he decided the airplane was too high and fast. During the second landing attempt, the airplane touched down on the main landing gear about the midpoint of the runway. The pilot stated that he held the nosewheel up and applied gentle braking, but the airplane did not slow at the rate he expected. The pilot considered aborting the landing; however, he believed that he would not be able to clear the trees at the end of the runway. The airplane ran off the runway, across a short overrun area, down a slope, and across a gravel road, where it impacted small trees. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and wing spars. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA355 for the full record.