LAX04CA212

The airplane overran the runway and collapsed the landing gear during the landing roll. The pilot reported landing a "bit too fast" with a tailwind. The airport manager reported observed tire skid marks from the displaced threshold down the entire length of the 2,500-foot runway. The airplane departed the end of the runway and came to rest down an embankment. The closest weather reporting facility (located 24 miles northeast of the accident site) depicted gusty winds out of the northwest. The pilot was landing to the southeast.

On May 15, 2004, at 1130 Pacific daylight time, a Beech A60, N931RP, impacted terrain after over running the end of runway 13 at the Ocean Ridge Airport, Gualala, California. The pilot was operating the airplane; Aero Technology, Inc., of Long Beach, California, was the registered owner. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from Long Beach at 0900, and was destined for Gualala.

During a telephone interview conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), the airport manager reported finding the airplane off the end of runway 13. The airport manager observed tire skid marks from the runway's displaced threshold (approximately 300 feet down the runway) to the end of the 2,500-foot runway. The airplane came to rest down an embankment located south of the airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear and the wings.

During a telephone interview conducted by the IIC, the pilot reported coming in for landing a "bit too fast" with a tailwind for landing. In the pilot's written statement he indicated that he checked the windsock prior to landing and observed it to be "90 degrees to runway 13." During the landing roll, he could not stop the airplane prior to the end of the runway. The airplane rolled off the runway, and down a bank into soft dirt, where the landing gear collapsed. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.

At 1856, the weather observation facility located in Ukiah, California (approximately 24 miles north-northeast of Gualala), reported the wind from 290 degrees at 9 knots with gusts to 15 knots. The weather report also indicated that the wind was variable between 260 degrees and 360 degrees.