Gnoss Field Airpot Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Novato, California 94945
Thursday, February 7, 2002 18:25 PST

The airplane overran the runway and impacted a ravine off the departure end of the runway after landing. Prior to the cross-country flight, the pilot obtained a weather brief from the Flight Service Station, and he was unsure he would be able to land at the destination airport due to weather. He monitored Air Traffic Control transmissions and heard that an airplane had broken out of the weather at 1,200 feet and landed at the destination airport. The pilot was cleared for the GPS approach. He noted that he was higher and faster than normal. He activated the speed brakes to help slow down the descent. The airplane touched down about 1/3 of the way down the runway. He activated the ground flaps and spoilers, and the brakes. When the airplane did not decelerate the pilot elected to abort the landing. He added power, but forgot to retract the flaps and spoilers. The airplane continued off the departure end of the runway and came to rest in a ravine. Reported winds prior to landing were 230 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 17 knots. Right after the accidents winds were reported from 290 degrees at 20 knots gusting to 27 knots. The runway was 3,300 feet. According to the manufacturer, with a tailwind condition, the airplane needed approximately 3,400 feet to make a normal landing. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions noted with the airplane.

The pilot's failure to achieve the proper touchdown point and his failure to retract the flaps and spoilers during an attempted landing abort, which resulted in a landing overrun. Also causal was the pilot's decision to attempt a landing in wind conditions that exceeded the landing performance capability of the airplane for the runway selected.