What happened
During an attempted go-around, the aircraft collided with terrain after experiencing a loss of control. The pilot was conducting their first landing at this airport. Initially, the pilot flew the aircraft upwind on the northern side of the runway, crossed midfield, and turned downwind to establish left traffic for runway 25. At the time, there was a quartering tailwind coming from the pilot's right side.
A witness observed that the airplane appeared stable while on the downwind, base, and final legs of the approach. However, as the aircraft descended below the horizon, the witness lost sight of it briefly. Upon reacquiring the aircraft, the witness noted that the nose was at a much higher pitch than typical for a climb-out. The wings were observed rocking left and right, and the airplane rolled approximately 45 degrees to the left as the nose began to fall. The last sighting of the aircraft showed it in a 45-degree left bank with the nose falling level with the horizon. The sound of the engine ceased following an audible thud.
Findings
An investigation into the event noted that the engine sounded strong and did not sputter or backfire prior to the impact. Additionally, it was determined that the pilot did not hold a current medical certificate.