N392ESCessna 172R · 1997

In an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that he had aborted two previous landing attempts, and landed “long” on the 1,700-foot turf runway. The airplane passed over a “hump” in the runway, became airborne again, touched down, and the pilot applied the brakes. The braking action was ineffective due to the freshly-cut grass clippings on the runway, and the pilot steered the airplane into thick brush and a pond rather than overrun the departure end of the runway. Interpolation of the airplane manufacturer’s landing distance chart revealed that the required landing distance over a 50-foot obstacle was approximately 1,300 feet. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.