LAX99LA109

The pilot overflew the runway to check the windsock and runway and saw what appeared to be an overrun area at the departure end of the runway. He reported that the landing flare was long and the aircraft seemed to float down the runway and was more than half way down the runway before initial touchdown. The pilot stated that lack of visual references and his belief that there was an overrun area led him to accept the excessive float during the landing. After touchdown he noted that there was not enough runway left to attempt a go-around. He applied brakes, but was unable to stop the aircraft before it struck plastic posts at the end of the runway and continued into an area of soft dirt, where the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that the weather conditions were clear sky, calm winds, and an approximate temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and no mechanical anomalies were noted.

On February 26, 1999, at 1300 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172P, N99269, collided with plastic posts during a landing overrun and came to rest inverted at the departure end of runway 33 at the Furnace Creek Airport, Death Valley, California. The aircraft, operated by Security Aviation and rented by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Hawthorne, California, airport the day of the accident, with intermediate stops in Jean, Nevada, and three stops in California; Shoshone airport, Stovepipe Wells, and Furnace Creek. The flight's ultimate destination was a return back to the Hawthorne airport.

The pilot reported the accident to the Safety Board on March 1, 1999.

In an interview, the pilot stated that he and his passenger had landed at three other airports without difficulty. The pilot reported that the weather conditions were clear sky, calm winds, and an approximate temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

The pilot reported that he overflew the airport to check the windsock and runway. He stated that he saw what appeared to be a "piece of old runway pavement at the north end of [runway] 33," and thought it was an overrun area. The pilot reported that no problems were encountered during the approach. He did note that on the landing he "was a bit long when I flared." The pilot reported that the aircraft seemed to float more than usual down the runway, and that without visual references, he allowed himself to accept an excessively long float before touchdown. After touchdown, on the 3,065-foot-long runway, he observed that there was not enough runway left to stop or attempt a go-around. He applied brakes and skidded on the runway, but was unable to stop. The aircraft struck plastic posts at the end of the runway and nosed over in the soft dirt. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the aircraft.