What happened
The pilot was operating a Cessna 172M aircraft carrying three passengers. The flight involved an approach and landing on a 2500-foot grass runway. This event marked the pilot's first experience landing on a grass surface.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft landed at a speed that was too high for the available runway length. The pilot attempted to abort the landing and rotate for takeoff again. The aircraft became airborne briefly but lacked sufficient airspeed to maintain level flight or climb. As the airspeed decayed, the left wing dropped due to an aerodynamic stall.
The aircraft settled onto the ground, impacting primarily on the left main landing gear. It then departed the runway surface to the left side. During this departure, the left wing struck a tree. The impact caused substantial damage to the left wing structure.
All occupants, including the pilot and the three passengers, exited the aircraft immediately after the stop. There were no injuries reported among any of the individuals on board.
The investigation
The physical examination of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the left wing consistent with striking a tree. The landing gear configuration and runway surface conditions were noted as factors in the departure from the paved or prepared surface.
Findings
Contributing factors included the pilot's lack of experience with grass runway landings, the fast touchdown speed, and the subsequent loss of airspeed during the balked landing maneuver. The short length of the grass runway limited the ability to accelerate for a safe climb-out.
substantial damage to the left wing
The occupants were not injured.