What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/31/2010 Cessna N3542V departed ukiah airport (uki) with two passengers on board and flew to a private dirt airfield Branscomb, CA. The pilot landed the plane approximately ¾ down the runway and because of tailwind, was moving at a higher than normal landing speed. At the end of the runway is a 700' overrun area that the pilot entered. The left wing tip clipped a small fir tree causing the plane to turn 90 degrees skid a short distance and then drop off of an approximately 4 foot high 45 degree embankment where it came to rest against several trees. This was the first dirt landing attempted by the pilot who only had 75 total hours.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/31/2010 CESSNA N3542V DEPARTED UKIAH AIRPORT (UKI) WITH TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD AND FLEW TO A PRIVATE DIRT AIRFIELD BRANSCOMB, CA. THE PILOT LANDED THE PLANE APPROXIMATELY ¾ DOWN THE RUNWAY AND BECAUSE OF TAILWIND, WAS MOVING AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL LANDING SPEED. AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY IS A 700' OVERRUN AREA THAT THE PILOT ENTERED. THE LEFT WING TIP CLIPPED A SMALL FIR TREE CAUSING THE PLANE TO TURN 90 DEGREES SKID A SHORT DISTANCE AND THEN DROP OFF OF AN APPROXIMATELY 4 FOOT HIGH 45 DEGREE EMBANKMENT WHERE IT CAME TO REST AGAINST SEVERAL TREES. THIS WAS THE FIRST DIRT LANDING ATTEMPTED BY THE PILOT WHO ONLY HAD 75 TOTAL HOURS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3542V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.