NTSB Factual Report

On June 24, 2001, about 1145 eastern daylight time, a Beech 77, N3818D, registered to a private individual, collided with a ditch during the landing roll at a private airstrip named County Squire Field, located approximately 5 nautical miles south of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated about 5 minutes earlier from Rock Hill/York County Bryant Field Airport, Rock Hill, South Carolina.

The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport for his first flight into the grass airstrip. The windsock indicated that the wind was variable at 6-7 knots from the north. He elected to land to the west and maintained 60 knots on final approach with the flaps fully extended. The flight touched down about 1/3 the way down the 2,700-foot-long runway but became airborne. The airplane then touched down again and he applied the brakes which he felt was having no effect on stopping the airplane. He stated, "I felt as though I was being pushed down the runway by a tailwind." The airplane veered to the left which he corrected back to centerline but was unable to stop the airplane before it rolled into a 3-foot ditch located at the departure end of the runway. He reported that he didn't think there was a brake malfunction.

A METAR weather observation taken at the departure airport about 9 minutes after the accident indicates in part that the wind was from 070 degrees at 9 knots. The accident airstrip is located approximately 5 nautical miles south-southwest of the departure airport.

NTSB Probable Cause

The poor weather evaluation by the pilot for landing with a tailwind and failure of the pilot to perform a go-around after the first bounced landing.