What happened
A certificated airline transport pilot was performing a landing approach at a private airport situated in flat terrain along a creek drainage, an area surrounded by rising, tree-covered landscape. The pilot had originally intended to perform a fly-by inspection of the airport prior to landing; however, upon turning onto the final approach, he decided to skip the inspection.
Upon realizing the aircraft was high on the glide path, the pilot initiated a go-around. The pilot noted that he had not determined a specific track for the go-around until the maneuver had already begun. During the maneuver, the pilot initially turned to the left, but the rising terrain proved visually deceiving. In an attempt to avoid the obstacles, the pilot then turned to the right. Despite this correction, the aircraft was unable to out-climb the ascending terrain and subsequently collided with trees approximately 1/2 mile west of the airport. The pilot was not injured.