Accident Summary
A student pilot with 38 hours of flight experience was performing a go-around when the airplane stalled and collided with trees. The pilot reported that after applying full power for the go-around, the airplane was unable to achieve its normal rate of climb because the flaps had not been retracted.
Flight Sequence
On final approach, the student pilot had selected 40 degrees of flaps. During the approach, the airplane drifted left of the runway. The pilot then applied full power to initiate a go-around. Subsequently, the student pilot realized that he had forgotten to retract the flaps after noticing a significantly reduced rate of climb. The pilot retracted the flaps as the airplane continued to drift to the left over the tree line.
Pilot's Actions
The 38-hour student pilot stated that the failure to retract the flaps was an oversight. The airplane's reduced climb performance led to a stall, and the aircraft subsequently collided with trees. The pilot had retracted the flaps only after recognizing the reduced climb rate, but by that time the airplane was already drifting leftward over the trees.