NTSB Factual Report

On October 16, 2004, about 1710 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, N555MN, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with a fence when the airplane departed the end of runway 18 (1,800 feet by 85 feet, wet turf) during a landing at Grindstone Air Harbor Airport (29C), near Port Austin, Michigan. The business flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he filed a Visual Flight Rules flight plan and that he sustained no injury during the accident. The flight originated from Oakland/Troy Airport (7D2), near Troy, Michigan, at 1640.

The pilot stated:

I was returning from 7D2 and was taking the airplane

to 29C. The airplane is normally based at BAX and I

was advised on 10-14-04 that our hanger space wasn't

going to be available so it was decided to take the

airplane to 29C to put it in the hanger. While

beginning to prepare to land on the airport's runway

18, I took note of the wind and direction and

determined it alright to land although I knew I was

going to have to land a little faster than normal

because of the gusty winds. On final, nearing

landing and at treetop level of the western runway

boundary, I encountered a wind gust from the

southwest that made me add power. When I recovered,

I had picked up about 5-10 kts of more airspeed. I

continued to land because I was now close to the

runway. Once I touched down and rolled out a little

bit, I began to touch the brakes. I noticed that the

plane was wanting to skid, evidentially because the

grass was damp. I began to get concerned whether there

was going to be enough runway to finish the landing. I

was also concerned that there may not be enough runway

left to takeoff due to gusty winds and power lines at

the end of the runway. I than chose to remain

committed to the landing and began heavy braking that

was resulting in skidding. I now had to decide if I was

going to continue toward the runway end fence, or the

hanger or an unlevel farm field that parallels the east

side of the runway. I decided to steer for the fence

and I pulled the mixture to [Idle Cut Off] and then shut

off the fuel. Just before the left wing hit the eastern

runway end fence, I turned the battery switches off.

After I got stopped, I got out and surveyed the damage.

Damaged on the airplane was the left wing, prop, front

cowling, right wing tip and a scratched nose gear. The

runway end fence was obviously damaged also. I then

removed the airplane from the fence and caused a little

more damage to the existing damage. The airplane was

then put into the hanger.

Since I began flying this airplane on 3 June 2004, I have

logged 91.9 hrs in it. 6.6 of those hours were with a

instructor from Metroline Aviation at 7D2. I have made

over 100 landings in this airplane and about 30 of them

were at 29C.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's excessive airspeed during landing resulting in the airplane exiting the end of the wet turf runway. Factors were the wind gusts, the wet grass, the reported airplane braking not being possible on the wet grass, and the impacted fence.