Taylorcraft BC12-D N5080M accident near West Liberty, Kentucky

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that he was using a global positioning system receiver to navigate a cross-country flight. The pilot's intended destination was an airport with a single 5,751-foot-long runway; however, he erroneously flew to a different airport with a single 2,400-foot-long runway with trees at both ends of the runway. In an attempt to clear trees near the runway threshold, the pilot touched down too close to the departure end of the runway. He did not want to attempt a go-around due to the trees at the end of the runway; thus he attempted to stop the airplane, but it traveled off the end of the runway and into a ditch. During the impact, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing separated. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11CA453 for the full record.