Incident Overview
An airplane collided with power lines during an attempted go-around and came to rest inverted on a nearby roadway. The incident occurred after the student pilot, following an encounter with turbulence during the landing level-off, firmly grabbed the controls and did not release them to the instructor.
Sequence of Events
During the landing approach, the airplane encountered turbulence while leveling off. The student pilot responded by taking a firm grip on the controls and maintaining that grip despite the instructor's attempts to regain control. As a result, the airplane began to drift left toward parked aircraft and hangars.
The instructor added full power to initiate a go-around but could not persuade the student to release his hold on the controls. The airplane cleared the hangars but continued to drift left. During this leftward drift, the landing gear contacted power lines. The airplane then descended nose first into the street below, coming to rest inverted.
Findings
The investigation noted that the student pilot's refusal to release the controls prevented the instructor from taking corrective action during the go-around. The airplane's leftward drift, combined with the low altitude, led to the collision with power lines.