On February 7, 1998, a Grumman American AA-5 (registration N7117L) was involved in an aviation accident near Conroe, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to initiate a go-around after landing too far down the runway, which resulted in the aircraft striking trees near the departure end of the runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
After touching down too far along the runway, the pilot attempted a go-around but struck trees near the departure end of the runway, bringing the aircraft to rest upright in a nose-down attitude.
What happened
The flight was proceeding on final approach when the aircraft landed on runway 35. The touchdown occurred at an excessive speed and significantly farther down the runway than intended. Recognizing that there was insufficient remaining distance to stop safely, the pilot decided to abort the landing and initiated a go-around procedure.
During the climb-out phase of the go-around, the aircraft encountered trees situated near the departure end of the 2,900-foot runway. The impact with the vegetation caused the aircraft to come to rest in an upright position, tilted in a nose-down attitude.
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to initiate a go-around after landing too far down the runway, which resulted in the aircraft striking trees near the departure end of the runway.