What happened
During a straight-in approach to a short grass airstrip, the pilot observed an irrigation pipe laid across the runway immediately after touchdown. In response to this obstacle, the pilot decided to abort the landing and applied full power to initiate a go-around.
As the aircraft became airborne again, it failed to clear rising terrain and obstructions located ahead of the runway. The aircraft subsequently impacted a tree near the departure end of the airstrip. The pilot was not injured.
Prior to this accident, the pilot had landed at this specific airstrip on numerous occasions, always coming to a full stop. On the day of the accident, the pilot did not survey the landing area from the air before beginning the approach. According to the pilot, the attempt to climb over the terrain was performed with partial flaps and an airspeed of 42 miles per hour.
Findings
An analysis of performance information charts indicated that the aircraft's configuration during the aborted landing was suboptimal for climbing. The best climb speed should have been approximately 57 miles per hour, and the flaps should have been retracted to facilitate a successful climb over the obstacles.