Incident Overview
The pilot, who was not licensed, stated that after performing a low pass over a remote hunting strip, he added power to initiate a go-around. The airplane's nose pitched up steeply, and a crosswind caused the airplane to turn and fly into a canyon. To avoid a stall, the pilot reduced power and pushed the nose down. He then encountered a downdraft which pushed the airplane down into the trees.
Pilot Experience and Aircraft Familiarity
The pilot had purchased the airplane 2-3 days prior to the incident and had only about 6 hours of flight time in this type of airplane. He reported a total of 500 flight hours, of which only 5 were with an instructor. The pilot stated that his lack of familiarity with some of the airplane's unusual handling characteristics contributed to the accident.
Aircraft Modifications
Several modifications had been performed on the airplane, two of which were not approved. The specific modifications were not detailed in the report.
Environmental Conditions
The pilot encountered a crosswind and a downdraft during the sequence of events. No other weather conditions were reported.
Pilot Comments
The pilot attributed the accident to his unfamiliarity with the airplane's handling characteristics, which he described as unusual. He did not provide any additional analysis or conclusions.