What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was utilizing Runway 35 for landing. According to the pilot's report, directional control was lost during the landing flare as the nose veered to the left. Witnesses observed that the aircraft appeared to flare too high above the runway.
In an effort to recover, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure. He applied full power and retracted the flaps by 10 degrees. However, the nose of the aircraft subsequently fell, leading to an impact with the terrain approximately 800 feet west of the landing runway. The pilot reported that the wind was from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
The investigation
The investigation relied primarily on the pilot's narrative and witness statements regarding the flight dynamics during the final approach and flare phase. No mechanical examination details were provided in the source material.
Findings
Contributing factors included the loss of directional control during the landing flare and the subsequent terrain impact after the go-around attempt. The aircraft's behavior, specifically the nose drop following flap retraction and power application, was noted as a critical element of the accident sequence.