What happened
The incident occurred during a training flight involving a touch-and-go landing sequence. The student pilot initiated a go-around maneuver but determined that the aircraft was positioned too far down the runway. In an attempt to correct the trajectory, the pilot pulled back on the control yoke excessively. This input caused the aircraft to exceed its critical angle of attack and enter a stall.
Following the stall, the aircraft drifted to the left side of the flight path. The left wing subsequently struck tall corn stalks located near the runway environment. The impact disrupted the flight dynamics, causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly and come to rest within the adjacent corn field.
The investigation
Examination of the event narrative indicates that the primary mechanical factor was the pilot's control input during the go-around phase. The excessive back pressure on the yoke directly resulted in the aerodynamic stall condition. No mechanical failures or pre-existing structural deficiencies were cited as contributing factors to the loss of control.
Findings
The investigation identified several key findings related to the accident sequence:
- The student pilot misjudged the aircraft's position relative to the runway during the touch-and-go maneuver.
- Excessive back pressure on the elevator controls led to an aerodynamic stall at low altitude.
- The resulting left drift caused the left wing to contact tall vegetation, preventing recovery.
- The flight phase was identified as a go-around initiated from a touch-and-go landing configuration.
The accident highlights the critical importance of proper energy management and pitch control during low-altitude maneuvering. Pilots must ensure that sufficient airspeed is maintained when transitioning from landing to climb configurations to avoid stall conditions, particularly when correcting for runway position errors.