| Crash location | 38.801389°N, 123.530278°W |
| Nearest city | Gualala, CA
38.765745°N, 123.528065°W 2.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N4174Z |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 03 Jun 2006 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-32R-301T |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 3, 2006, at 1215 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA32R-301T, N4174Z, ran off the end of the runway and the landing gear collapsed at Ocean Ridge Airport, Gualala, California. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight. The pilot departed from San Rafael Airport, San Rafael, California, at 1130, and was landing at his destination when the accident occurred.
The pilot stated that the while landing on the 2,500-foot runway, the airplane ran off the end. As it slid across the grass-covered terrain, the landing gear collapsed, which resulted in rib damage to the outboard left wing and right wheel well area. There were no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The pilot noted that the runway had a hump in its middle that decreased his visibility during landing. When he realized that he needed to perform a go-around, there was not enough runway available to safety do so.
The Airport/Facility Directory Southwest notes in the remarks section for Ocean Ridge Airport, in part, "Acft not visible from opposite ends of rwy."
the pilot's misjudged distance and speed, which resulted in a runway overrun. A contributing factor was the hump in the runway.