No fatalities

28 May 2008: Cessna 150M — Craig C Niemitalo — Cove, OR

Cove, OR, United States

On 28 May 2008, a Cessna 150M operated by Craig C Niemitalo was involved in an aviation accident near Cove, OR. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain during a go-around. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot reported a gust of wind on final approach about 50 feet above ground, leading to a failed go-around and wing tip impacts, resulting in substantial damage and minor injury.

Incident Overview

A student pilot was conducting a landing approach to an unimproved grass airstrip. The pilot had planned to land to the east. While on final approach, approximately 50 feet above the ground, the pilot encountered a gust of wind. In response, the pilot attempted to execute a go-around by applying full power.

Sequence of Events

The pilot reported that after adding full power, the airplane was unable to gain sufficient altitude before the right wing tip impacted terrain. Subsequently, the left wing tip also struck the ground. The airplane came to rest in a nose-down, tail-up attitude, facing west.

Injuries and Damage

The pilot sustained a minor injury. There was no postcrash fire. Both wings sustained substantial damage.

Findings

The report from the student pilot indicates that a wind gust on final approach preceded the go-around attempt. The airplane impacted terrain with both wing tips during the unsuccessful go-around. No further causal factors were identified in the source.

Contributing factors

Altitude — Not attained/maintained