Narrative:

I was on a combination aircraft refamiliarization and aircraft break-in flight. With me was our flying club's operations manager. I executed the VOR runway 6 straight-in approach. On short final, and on initial rollout, a strong crosswind from our right was experienced. I applied brakes soon after touchdown, but due to the wet surface of the runway, hesitated slightly so as to allow the aircraft to slow on its own. Just before reaching midfield, I started aggressive braking. The aircraft continued rolling at a faster pace than the brakes were able to slow the aircraft. I thought of a go around, but judged that there was insufficient runway and speed to do this. Bearing this in mind, I decided it was best to keep the aircraft on the ground, and roll out onto the grass at the east end of the field. We exited the runway at minimum speed. I was then using minimum brakes, so as not to skid or slide on the wet grass surface. We had almost come to a stop, when the aircraft entered an unmarked ditch, running perpendicular to us. We came to an immediate stop. I told my passenger to exit immediately, and I stayed long enough to shut down the aircraft's systems, and then exited myself. After leaving the aircraft, I saw the windsock at this end of the field indicated a direct tailwind with respect to our direction of landing. Supporting data and conclusions: WX briefing prior and during the flight indicated only a crosswind condition at the airport, no reports of windshear. An aircraft departing before our arrival, indicated his choice of runway 6 for departure. NOTAM of the localizer (for runway 24) being out of service. I attribute this incident to the following: 1) poor braking ability of the aircraft, due to the wet runway surface, and the apparent tailwind experienced. 2) entry into an unmarked ditch. No sign of it on the airport diagram. 3) apparent erroneous windsock at the west end of the field. (It was overheard later from a local pilot, that the west windsock frequently gave false wind indications. Also overheard was a comment that we ought to fill in that ditch one of these days.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WET RWY, POOR BRAKING, ENTERED GRASS ON OVERRUN. UNMARKED DITCH PERPENDICULAR TO PATH. TAILWIND NOTICED ON EXIT OF ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A COMBINATION ACFT REFAMILIARIZATION AND ACFT BREAK-IN FLT. WITH ME WAS OUR FLYING CLUB'S OPERATIONS MGR. I EXECUTED THE VOR RWY 6 STRAIGHT-IN APCH. ON SHORT FINAL, AND ON INITIAL ROLLOUT, A STRONG XWIND FROM OUR RIGHT WAS EXPERIENCED. I APPLIED BRAKES SOON AFTER TOUCHDOWN, BUT DUE TO THE WET SURFACE OF THE RWY, HESITATED SLIGHTLY SO AS TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO SLOW ON ITS OWN. JUST BEFORE REACHING MIDFIELD, I STARTED AGGRESSIVE BRAKING. THE ACFT CONTINUED ROLLING AT A FASTER PACE THAN THE BRAKES WERE ABLE TO SLOW THE ACFT. I THOUGHT OF A GO AROUND, BUT JUDGED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT RWY AND SPEED TO DO THIS. BEARING THIS IN MIND, I DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE GND, AND ROLL OUT ONTO THE GRASS AT THE EAST END OF THE FIELD. WE EXITED THE RWY AT MINIMUM SPEED. I WAS THEN USING MINIMUM BRAKES, SO AS NOT TO SKID OR SLIDE ON THE WET GRASS SURFACE. WE HAD ALMOST COME TO A STOP, WHEN THE ACFT ENTERED AN UNMARKED DITCH, RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO US. WE CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. I TOLD MY PAX TO EXIT IMMEDIATELY, AND I STAYED LONG ENOUGH TO SHUT DOWN THE ACFT'S SYSTEMS, AND THEN EXITED MYSELF. AFTER LEAVING THE ACFT, I SAW THE WINDSOCK AT THIS END OF THE FIELD INDICATED A DIRECT TAILWIND WITH RESPECT TO OUR DIRECTION OF LNDG. SUPPORTING DATA AND CONCLUSIONS: WX BRIEFING PRIOR AND DURING THE FLT INDICATED ONLY A XWIND CONDITION AT THE ARPT, NO REPORTS OF WINDSHEAR. AN ACFT DEPARTING BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL, INDICATED HIS CHOICE OF RWY 6 FOR DEP. NOTAM OF THE LOC (FOR RWY 24) BEING OUT OF SERVICE. I ATTRIBUTE THIS INCIDENT TO THE FOLLOWING: 1) POOR BRAKING ABILITY OF THE ACFT, DUE TO THE WET RWY SURFACE, AND THE APPARENT TAILWIND EXPERIENCED. 2) ENTRY INTO AN UNMARKED DITCH. NO SIGN OF IT ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM. 3) APPARENT ERRONEOUS WINDSOCK AT THE WEST END OF THE FIELD. (IT WAS OVERHEARD LATER FROM A LOCAL PLT, THAT THE WEST WINDSOCK FREQUENTLY GAVE FALSE WIND INDICATIONS. ALSO OVERHEARD WAS A COMMENT THAT WE OUGHT TO FILL IN THAT DITCH ONE OF THESE DAYS.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.