Graham USFS Airport: Atlanta, Idaho

Airport is located 1 mile north west of Atlanta, Idaho.

The plot landed on the last half of the 2,900-foot-long grass runway and was unable to bring the airplane to a stop before it ran off the end of the runway and into trees. Prior to going to the airport, the pilot had spoken with local area pilots who indicated that he should not use the first half of the runway because it was muddy and soft. The pilot indicated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The Federal Aviation Administration Airport/Facility Directory for the airport states in part, " that the lower 1/3 of the runway is soft and unusable during the early spring. " The performance section landing distance charts of the Cessna 180 Owners Manual listed a total landing distance of 1,842 over a 50-foot obstacle, with a 847-foot ground roll (chart correction factors applied for grass runway surface and no wind).
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The pilot reported that both he and the passenger walked the runway and removed debris from it, including sticks and rocks, prior to takeoff. The runway had softened due to snow and water runoff and the pilot said he experienced slight sinking conditions, but it was not muddy or sloppy. The pilot elected to depart to the south in order to takeoff on a downhill slope. The pilot performed a soft field takeoff by pulling the yoke back to reduce friction from the nose wheel. About 40 miles per hour (mph), the airplane hit several ruts and slowed down. He initiated rotation at 60 mph, but could not gain sufficient altitude prior to hitting a tree at the departure end of the runway, causing substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.