IAD99LA067

The pilot extended the final approach to his home airport beyond his 'normal' touchdown point. The airplane touched down on the soft sod and encountered ruts that were hidden from view by recently mowed grass clippings. The pilot lost directional control and the airplane veered to the right, departed the runway, and collided with trees.

On September 19, 1999, at 1037 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6941A, was substantially damaged after a loss of control during landing at the Honeoye Falls Airport (D70), Honeoye Falls, New York. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight that originated at D70, approximately 0800. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In a telephone interview, the pilot reported that his airplane was hangared at D70. He said the sod field was 1,685 feet long, oriented 010 and 190 degrees magnetic, with wires and a car dealership at the north end. The pilot said the purpose of the flight was to practice some touch and go landings at the Dunkirk Airport, Dunkirk, New York. He said the flight to and from Dunkirk was uneventful and that the airplane was performing to specifications. The pilot said that when he entered the traffic pattern for runway 19, pedestrians with an unleashed dog stood in the vicinity of his normal touchdown point, and he elected to land farther down the runway.

In a written statement, the pilot said:

"...I noticed the group of people and the dog had gathered on the blacktop at the threshold of grass runway 19, the spot I normally aim for with full flaps to round out close (10 ft. or so) to the ground and get it down as soon as possible; therefore I had to go farther down the runway to avoid alarming the unmoving people...When I touched down, I felt my right wheel catch in a rut, which swung the airplane at a 30-45 [degree] angle toward the trees very quickly. I tried to correct to the left but the right wheel had started down the crown at the right side of the runway, making nose wheel or left brake steering ineffective."

In a written statement, one witness said he was standing in the dealership lot with his son and his dog when he witnessed the accident. He said:

"...My son and I were looking at a new truck in the parking lot of [the car dealership] when we observed a small plane making an approach to the airport runway from the North. My son commented that the approach appeared unusual since the plane was coming in so close to the West side of the runway. The plane hit the runway once and then veered to the right and into the bush and trees on the West side of the runway. At no time either during the approach, or the landing, were there any people or animals on or near the runway."

In a written statement, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector said that two witnessed reported the "...plane came in a little wobbly over the wires on Main Street. [The] Plane landed briefly then 'bounced back up quickly', then hit the ground again, turning the plane into the tree line."

The pilot reported that the airfield had received over an inch of rain 3 days prior to the accident. Two days prior to the accident, the runway sod was cut by a heavy tractor that left ruts in the landing surface. The pilot said it was difficult to see and avoid the ruts because they were obscured by the grass clippings.

When questioned if the airplane displayed any performance or handling discrepancies, the pilot responded, "Oh no. I just had it annualed. It was mint."

Winds reported at Rochester, New York, 10 miles north of D70 were from 200 degrees at 10 knots.

The pilot reported approximately 320 hours of flight experience, 200 hours of which were in the Cessna 172.