Incident Overview
An air traffic controller observed the airplane as it was about to land on the runway. The aircraft was aligned to the far left side of the runway, nearly on the grass. Approximately 2,250 feet down the runway, the pilot announced a go-around. The airplane then pitched up, continued drifting left, and climbed to about 20 feet above the ground. It leveled off, descended slightly, and then entered a rapid left bank of approximately 60 degrees before impacting a seawall along the western perimeter of the airport.
Controller Observations
The controller reported that the airplane was positioned far left on the runway, almost on the grass, during the landing approach. After the go-around announcement, the aircraft maintained a leftward drift and climbed to a low altitude before banking sharply and hitting the seawall.
Audio Analysis
All four radio transmissions recorded during the airplane's initial approach to Lakefront Airport were examined using an audio spectrum analyzer to identify background signatures possibly associated with the engine or propellers. Each transmission revealed two separate engine/propeller signatures, though it could not be determined which engine (left or right) produced each sound. In the final transmission, when the pilot stated "we're going around," one engine recorded an RPM of 2,304 and the other recorded an RPM of 1,768.
Mechanical Examination
Examination of the airplane and its engines found no mechanical deficiencies.