Incident Overview
A solo student pilot was attempting to land an airplane in moderate crosswind conditions. He decided to abort the landing and performed a go-around. During the go-around, the pilot raised the flaps. He reported that retracting two notches of flaps caused the airplane to lose excessive altitude. As he pulled back on the yoke, the airplane stalled. Subsequently, the airplane struck several trees and impacted the ground.
Pilot Statement
The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He reported that the loss of altitude following flap retraction and the subsequent stall were the primary events leading to the collision with obstacles and terrain.
Sequence of Events
The landing was attempted in a moderate crosswind. When the pilot initiated the go-around, he began to raise the flaps. The removal of two notches of flaps resulted in a rapid descent. The pilot's attempt to counteract this descent by applying back pressure on the yoke led to an aerodynamic stall. The airplane then descended, struck multiple trees, and finally impacted the ground.