What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was attempting to land under challenging weather conditions characterized by gusty crosswinds. Upon touchdown, the airplane ballooned rather than maintaining ground contact as intended. In response to this situation, the pilot applied full power and elected to execute a go-around maneuver.
During the climbout phase, the pilot turned the aircraft to the right, positioning it on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. However, the aircraft failed to gain sufficient altitude to clear existing obstacles in the area. As a result, the airplane collided with a tree during this low-altitude turn.
The investigation
Post-incident information indicates that the pilot reported wind conditions coming from the west at 10 knots, with gusts reaching up to 15 knots. These environmental factors contributed significantly to the ballooning effect during the initial landing phase and influenced the subsequent decision-making process regarding the go-around trajectory.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was the inability of the aircraft to achieve adequate climb performance during the go-around maneuver. The combination of the initial ballooning event and the subsequent right turn on downwind resulted in an insufficient altitude margin to clear nearby trees. This highlights the critical importance of maintaining proper airspeed and climb gradients during low-altitude go-around operations, particularly when dealing with gusty crosswind conditions that can affect aircraft performance and handling characteristics.