No fatalities

8 Mar 2012: PIPER PA-18-150 — Fort Collins, CO

Fort Collins, CO, United States

On 8 Mar 2012, a PIPER PA-18-150 was involved in an aviation accident near Fort Collins, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed and airplane control during the go-around, which resulted in the airplane impacting trees. 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 pilot reported encountering turbulence and wind gusts during landing at a private strip, attempted a go-around, failed to maintain flying speed, and struck trees, causing substantial wing spar damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that while landing a airplane on a private landing strip located on his property, he encountered turbulence and wind gusts during the approach. The windsock near the landing area indicated calm conditions at the time. The pilot decided to abort the landing and initiated a go-around.

Sequence of Events

During the go-around, the pilot did not maintain sufficient flying speed. The airplane subsequently impacted trees. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, specifically to the wings, which sustained spar damage. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane during the flight.

Pilot Comment

The pilot stated that the flag near the landing location indicated calm winds before the approach, but turbulence and wind gusts were encountered during the landing attempt. The go-around was performed in response to these conditions.

Damage Assessment

The airplane received substantial damage, with the wings experiencing spar damage due to the tree impact.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome