Accident Details
On April 2, 2011, at 0947 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, registration N4914V, struck structures during a go-around at the Owl Canyon Gliderport (4CO2) in Wellington, Colorado. The aircraft was operated by G&M Aviation Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The flight had originated from the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL) in Loveland, Colorado at 0915.
Sequence of Events
According to the private pilot's statement, during the final approach leg to a 15-foot-wide runway, she experienced difficulty maintaining runway alignment and approach airspeed due to shifting wind direction. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) directed a go-around, and the private pilot initiated the go-around procedures, which included raising the landing gear. The CFI then assumed control of the airplane, retracted the flaps to 10 degrees, and attempted to establish a climb. However, the airplane continued flying in ground effect and drifted left of the runway. The private pilot reported that the airplane, while in ground effect, lacked sufficient performance to maneuver away from a gazebo located approximately 145 feet from the runway centerline. The airplane's left wing collided with the gazebo, and the right wing struck the windsock. The CFI executed a forced landing on airport property, and the airplane slid to a stop on its belly. Both occupants, the CFI and the private pilot, were not injured. The airplane sustained crushing damage to the left wing and buckling of the forward fuselage.
Aircraft Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airframe and engine and found no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.