What happened
The pilot reported that he executed a landing on a short grass runway characterized by a slight downslope. The approach resulted in a touchdown that was both long and fast relative to the available field length. Upon reaching the end of the paved or prepared surface, the pilot assessed that stopping before impacting an earthwork dam located north of the runway threshold was not feasible.
Consequently, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure. However, the aircraft was unable to achieve sufficient climb performance to clear trees situated in a wooded area adjacent to the departure end of the runway. The aircraft impacted the trees and came to rest in a nose-up attitude within the heavily wooded terrain. The pilot later acknowledged that an earlier decision to abort the landing would have prevented the accident.
The investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board examined the wreckage site and reviewed the pilot's statement regarding the landing dynamics and subsequent go-around attempt. The physical evidence supported the narrative of a high-energy landing on a short, sloping grass surface that necessitated a rejected landing. The investigation confirmed that the terrain features, specifically the earthwork dam and the wooded area, were significant factors in the final impact.
Findings
Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to continue the landing on a runway that was insufficiently long for the approach speed and conditions. The subsequent inability to clear obstacles during the go-around phase resulted in the collision with trees. The pilot's own assessment highlighted that timely recognition of the unsafe landing parameters would have allowed for a safe abort.
Safety message
Pilots must carefully evaluate runway length, surface conditions, and slope before committing to a landing. If a landing cannot be completed safely within the available distance, an immediate go-around should be initiated at the earliest possible moment, provided obstacle clearance can be assured.