Flight History
The pilot, unfamiliar with the airport, arrived and flew around at 5,600 feet mean sea level (msl); the airport elevation was 4,600 feet. UNICOM informed him that runway 16 was the preferred runway. He noted a hill with silos on the approach end of the runway and maintained what he felt was safe vertical separation from the silos, coming in slightly high as he set up for landing.
Go-Around and Collision
During the flare, the pilot became aware that the runway sloped uphill. He was below the crest and could not see how long the runway continued past it. He decided to go around rather than rolling to the top and finding that the runway ended. Because of the runway slope, he felt he could not level off and pick up speed. He pulled the nose up, and upon climbing above the crest, noticed houses at the end of the runway. He applied full power and leaned the mixture for pattern altitude. The airplane started to climb, and he retracted the flaps up 1/2 notch; however, the airplane seemed to lose some lift. The terrain ahead sloped downhill to his left, so he banked slightly to the left. He maintained 60 knots, and noted that the stall warning horn did not sound. The airplane did not gain enough airspeed or altitude, and collided with the house.
Aircraft Performance
The Pilot Information Manual for the Model 172P states that during a go-around the flaps should be retracted to 20 degrees and the climb conducted at a speed of 55 knots. The density altitude was calculated to be 6,700 feet.
Environmental Conditions
The Airport/Facility Directory, Southwest U.S., indicated that there was no line of sight between the ends of the runway. It stated that runway 16 had a 2.5 percent up gradient in the first 500 feet. The closest aviation weather reporting facility, 14 nautical miles away, was reporting winds from 060 degrees at 5 knots.