What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Pilot attempted to land on grass strip 1800X60 ft. aircraft contacted trees on left of runway. A/c received substantial damage. No post acc. Fire. Pilot and 1 pax received minor injuries. (.4) once over the runway, the pilot identified that the windsock was "slightly moving," so he elected to land on runway 03, which was 1,700 feet long and 60 feet wide. With the flaps set to 30 degrees, the pilot slowed the airplane to 65-70 knots in preparation for a soft field landing. Once over the runway, the pilot flared the airplane. While the pilot was waiting for the airplane to settle onto the runway, it "lurched" to the left. The pilot applied right rudder, but the airplane continued to the left. The airplane departed the runway and came to a stop after impacting some small trees. The pilot reported a total of 57.4 hours of flight experience, all of which was in the accident airplane. In addition, it was the pilot's first attempt at making an actual soft field landing. He had practiced soft field landings on hard surface runways, but had never actually landed on a soft surface. Examination of the airplane revealed no pre impact failures or malfunction s.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON GRASS STRIP 1800X60 FT. AIRCRAFT CONTACTED TREES ON LEFT OF RUNWAY. A/C RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO POST ACC. FIRE. PILOT AND 1 PAX RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. (.4) ONCE OVER THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT IDENTIFIED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS "SLIGHTLY MOVING," SO HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 03, WHICH WAS 1,700 FEET LONG AND 60 FEET WIDE. WITH THE FLAPS SET TO 30 DEGREES, THE PILOT SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO 65-70 KNOTS IN PREPARATION FOR A SOFT FIELD LANDING. ONCE OVER THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT FLARED THE AIRPLANE. WHILE THE PILOT WAS WAITING FOR THE AIRPLANE TO SETTLE ONTO THE RUNWAY, IT "LURCHED" TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO A STOP AFTER IMPACTING SOME SMALL TREES. THE PILOT REPORTED A TOTAL OF 57.4 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, ALL OF WHICH WAS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. IN ADDITION, IT WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT MAKING AN ACTUAL SOFT FIELD LANDING. HE HAD PRACTICED SOFT FIELD LANDINGS ON HARD SURFACE RUNWAYS, BUT HAD NEVER ACTUALLY LANDED ON A SOFT SURFACE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NO PRE IMPACT FAILURES OR MALFUNCTION S.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.