On September 15, 1991, a Mooney M20F (registration N3492N) operated by William E. Claussen was involved in an aviation accident near Kent, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing and go-around, which resulted in the aircraft drifting into trees. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a landing attempt, the aircraft experienced a porpoising motion and drifted left. The pilot initiated a go-around but struck trees while attempting to recover.
What happened
The pilot reported that during the landing phase of flight, the aircraft began to porpoise upon touchdown. As the event unfolded, the airplane started drifting toward the left side of the runway. In an effort to regain control and align with the runway centerline, the pilot attempted to correct the drift. Subsequently, the decision was made to initiate a go-around procedure.
As the aircraft began to climb away from the ground, it continued to drift to the left rather than correcting its trajectory. The airplane impacted a line of trees approximately 15 feet below the top of the canopy before coming to rest in a crash.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing and go-around, which resulted in the aircraft drifting into trees.