What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witness statement " cardinal was circling east of the Plainwell airport approximate altitude 700 AGL . Cardinal was next observed on short final to runway 27 and touched down beyond the north/south grass runway. The witness said the flaps were estimated at 20 degrees at that time. The witness then drove his vehicle to the 131 freeway overpass on 106th street and saw the aircraft was unable to stop in time." FAA iic observed skid marks at the runway centerline from the left and right gear the last 500 feet of runway 27. The aircraft continued straight ahead, crashed thru a perimeter fence at the end of the runway, and nosed into a ditch about 100 feet from state highway 131. The allegan county sherriff's deputy on the scene said the pilot told him he landed long and that this was probably the last flight he would ever take again.
As the FAA filed it
WITNESS STATEMENT " CARDINAL WAS CIRCLING EAST OF THE PLAINWELL AIRPORT APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE 700 AGL . CARDINAL WAS NEXT OBSERVED ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 27 AND TOUCHED DOWN BEYOND THE NORTH/SOUTH GRASS RUNWAY. THE WITNESS SAID THE FLAPS WERE ESTIMATED AT 20 DEGREES AT THAT TIME. THE WITNESS THEN DROVE HIS VEHICLE TO THE 131 FREEWAY OVERPASS ON 106TH STREET AND SAW THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME." FAA IIC OBSERVED SKID MARKS AT THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT GEAR THE LAST 500 FEET OF RUNWAY 27. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD, CRASHED THRU A PERIMETER FENCE AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND NOSED INTO A DITCH ABOUT 100 FEET FROM STATE HIGHWAY 131. THE ALLEGAN COUNTY SHERRIFF'S DEPUTY ON THE SCENE SAID THE PILOT TOLD HIM HE LANDED LONG AND THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY THE LAST FLIGHT HE WOULD EVER TAKE AGAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.