Beech 23 N8783M accident near Spruce Pines, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to familiarize himself with the wind conditions at the destination airport and his failure to attain the proper touchdown point during landing, which resulted in a long, tailwind landing and subsequent runway overrun.

NTSB analysis

Before attempting to land on the 3,001-ft-long, asphalt runway, the pilot had been advised by personnel at the destination airport that landing toward the upsloping direction of the runway was preferred. The pilot did not check the wind direction prior to landing, and during the landing flare, the airplane did not slow down or descend. The pilot added full flaps, but the airplane continued to float and touched down with about 200 ft of remaining runway. Subsequently, the airplane overran the runway end, proceeded through the airport perimeter fence, traveled down an embankment, and came to rest on a road. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Following the accident, the pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and stated that he believed that a tailwind was likely present during the landing attempt.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA012 for the full record.