What happened
The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules approach to a 2,130-foot-long airstrip. During the third attempt to land, the aircraft overshot the proper touchdown point. Consequently, the pilot initiated a go-around maneuver with the flaps extended. However, the aircraft failed to climb as expected. With insufficient altitude and runway remaining, the pilot attempted an emergency landing on the remaining portion of the strip. The aircraft overran the end of the runway and impacted trees. There were four adults aboard the aircraft at the time of the incident. A tailwind was present during the approach.
Findings
The primary factors contributing to this accident were the pilot's decision to continue the approach beyond the proper touchdown point and the subsequent failure to gain altitude during the go-around. The presence of a tailwind likely exacerbated the ground speed and reduced the available runway for stopping or climbing. The aircraft impacted trees after overrunning the runway, indicating a loss of control or inability to maintain flight path.
Safety message
Pilots must ensure that go-around procedures are executed with adequate airspeed and configuration settings to guarantee a positive climb gradient, especially on short runways where margin for error is minimal. Understanding the impact of wind conditions on takeoff and landing performance is critical for safe operations in constrained environments.