Piper PA 22 N1520P accident near Fuquay Varina, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to attain a proper approach speed, which resulted in an overrun of the wet grass runway.

NTSB analysis

As the pilot approached the destination airport for landing, he felt that the elevator trim was not working properly. He elected to return to the 2,780-ft-long grass runway at his home airport. While approaching the airport he continued his attempts to adjust the pitch trim, to no avail. He further reported that even after his attempts to adjust the elevator trim, it felt as if there was too much nose down trim, as he had to maintain back pressure on the yoke to keep the wings level. As the approach continued, he felt that he could not slow the airplane down or descend enough and entered a slip. The airplane landed “long and fast,” and the brakes were not effective due to the damp grass. The airplane departed the end of the runway and the right wing was substantially damaged after it impacted a tree. After the accident, the pilot stated that he adjusted the elevator trim and the system seemed to work properly.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA20CA251 for the full record.