Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's misjudged distance and speed during landing. A factor was the wet grass runway.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On February 26, 1998, approximately 1400 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 175, N7620M, collided with terrain while landing at an unnamed private airstrip near Port Townsend, WA. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, and the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The personal flight, which originated at Lebanon, Oregon about 1200 PST, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. An IFR flight plan had been filed for the flight, but was cancelled in the Port Townsend area prior to the landing.
During a telephone interview with the pilot and in the pilot's written statement, he said that he was landing on a damp 1700 ft grass runway. He overran the runway, hit a ditch, bounced over a road, and ended up in a ditch on the other side of the road. There were no mechanical failures reported by the pilot.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA98LA041