Narrative:

The aircraft landed long on runway 26R (grass) and pilot was unable to stop aircraft before overrunning the end of the runway into an adjacent farm field. The aircraft was traveling between 10-20 KTS when it entered the field, and continued for approximately 50-100 ft into the field. At this point, power was applied and the aircraft was turned around and returned to the turf runway. The farm field was smooth, as was the transition between the turf and the dirt. The aircraft was not damaged in any way, and no persons were injured. This event was the result of a series of poor decisions and mental errors which, after the fact, are all very obvious. Normally when landing at C89, I listen to ATIS at enw to check the wind. On this day, I was approaching C89 from the west, and I was listening on the CTAF for burlington and campbell. At both of those airports, planes were landing to the west. I had departed ugn 2 hours earlier, also to the west (23), and didn't think that the winds would have shifted by almost 180 degrees. They had. This was mistake #1. On my first attempt to land, I went around because I was high and fast. This should have alerted me to the fact that I was landing downwind, but it didn't. This was mistake #2. On the second trip around the pattern, there was a glider maneuvering in the vicinity of the pattern, apparently losing altitude to approach and land. The presence of this glider was unnerving, and I spent too much time looking for it and flew a poor pattern as a result. At first sight of the glider, I should have broken out of the pattern and allowed it to land. I didn't. That was mistake #3. I was now high and fast again, and despite passing my 'point of no return go around' spot on the runway, I still landed the plane anyway. Not going around again was mistake #4, perhaps the worst mistake of them all. Once on the runway, I realized I would not stop before entering the field, and I knew I couldn't take off in the remaining length of the runway. I braked as much as feasible and kept the weight off the nosewheel, and maintained directional control of the plane. Once in the farm field, I could tell that the ground was fairly smooth and that the plane would come to a controled stop in a very short distance, which it did. I am fortunate that the farm field was as forgiving as it was, and that there was no fence or elevation change between the runway and the field. What could have been a potentially serious accident became an extremely important learning experience -- one which I intend to never repeat!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 LANDS DOWNWIND AT C89, WI, AND IS UNABLE TO STOP WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE RWY.

Narrative: THE ACFT LANDED LONG ON RWY 26R (GRASS) AND PLT WAS UNABLE TO STOP ACFT BEFORE OVERRUNNING THE END OF THE RWY INTO AN ADJACENT FARM FIELD. THE ACFT WAS TRAVELING BTWN 10-20 KTS WHEN IT ENTERED THE FIELD, AND CONTINUED FOR APPROX 50-100 FT INTO THE FIELD. AT THIS POINT, PWR WAS APPLIED AND THE ACFT WAS TURNED AROUND AND RETURNED TO THE TURF RWY. THE FARM FIELD WAS SMOOTH, AS WAS THE TRANSITION BTWN THE TURF AND THE DIRT. THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED IN ANY WAY, AND NO PERSONS WERE INJURED. THIS EVENT WAS THE RESULT OF A SERIES OF POOR DECISIONS AND MENTAL ERRORS WHICH, AFTER THE FACT, ARE ALL VERY OBVIOUS. NORMALLY WHEN LNDG AT C89, I LISTEN TO ATIS AT ENW TO CHK THE WIND. ON THIS DAY, I WAS APCHING C89 FROM THE W, AND I WAS LISTENING ON THE CTAF FOR BURLINGTON AND CAMPBELL. AT BOTH OF THOSE ARPTS, PLANES WERE LNDG TO THE W. I HAD DEPARTED UGN 2 HRS EARLIER, ALSO TO THE W (23), AND DIDN'T THINK THAT THE WINDS WOULD HAVE SHIFTED BY ALMOST 180 DEGS. THEY HAD. THIS WAS MISTAKE #1. ON MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO LAND, I WENT AROUND BECAUSE I WAS HIGH AND FAST. THIS SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE FACT THAT I WAS LNDG DOWNWIND, BUT IT DIDN'T. THIS WAS MISTAKE #2. ON THE SECOND TRIP AROUND THE PATTERN, THERE WAS A GLIDER MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF THE PATTERN, APPARENTLY LOSING ALT TO APCH AND LAND. THE PRESENCE OF THIS GLIDER WAS UNNERVING, AND I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING FOR IT AND FLEW A POOR PATTERN AS A RESULT. AT FIRST SIGHT OF THE GLIDER, I SHOULD HAVE BROKEN OUT OF THE PATTERN AND ALLOWED IT TO LAND. I DIDN'T. THAT WAS MISTAKE #3. I WAS NOW HIGH AND FAST AGAIN, AND DESPITE PASSING MY 'POINT OF NO RETURN GAR' SPOT ON THE RWY, I STILL LANDED THE PLANE ANYWAY. NOT GOING AROUND AGAIN WAS MISTAKE #4, PERHAPS THE WORST MISTAKE OF THEM ALL. ONCE ON THE RWY, I REALIZED I WOULD NOT STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE FIELD, AND I KNEW I COULDN'T TAKE OFF IN THE REMAINING LENGTH OF THE RWY. I BRAKED AS MUCH AS FEASIBLE AND KEPT THE WT OFF THE NOSEWHEEL, AND MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE PLANE. ONCE IN THE FARM FIELD, I COULD TELL THAT THE GND WAS FAIRLY SMOOTH AND THAT THE PLANE WOULD COME TO A CTLED STOP IN A VERY SHORT DISTANCE, WHICH IT DID. I AM FORTUNATE THAT THE FARM FIELD WAS AS FORGIVING AS IT WAS, AND THAT THERE WAS NO FENCE OR ELEVATION CHANGE BTWN THE RWY AND THE FIELD. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAME AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT LEARNING EXPERIENCE -- ONE WHICH I INTEND TO NEVER REPEAT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.