What happened
The incident occurred following a bounced landing on runway 22. After touching down, the airplane turned to the right. The pilot initiated a go-around by adding full power; however, during this maneuver, the right main wheel struck the top wire of a fence that paralleled the runway. Subsequently, the right wing caught a brush pile, causing the airplane to nose over to the ground.
The investigation
Investigation of the event revealed that environmental conditions played a significant role in the accident sequence. Winds were reported from 160 degrees at 15 knots, with gusts reaching 35 knots. These strong and gusty wind conditions contributed to the difficulty in controlling the aircraft during the critical phase of the go-around.
Findings
The pilot's fatigue was identified as a contributing factor due to dry and windy conditions in the area. For the two weeks preceding the accident, the pilot had been conducting fire patrol flights, averaging six hours per day. This extended period of duty likely impacted the pilot's ability to manage the aircraft effectively during the bounced landing and subsequent go-around attempt.