The pilot reported that during landing the airplane floated half way down the runway, so she decided to perform a go-around. During the go-around, the pilot reported that airplane would not climb initially and one wheel touched down on the runway, which "threw the airplane off kilter." Subsequently, the airplane did start to climb, but the flight path was over the grass to the right of the runway, so she forced the airplane down in the grass ahead. During the touchdown, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over.
During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that during the go-around, she retracted the flaps to 20 degrees, but she forgot to remove the carburetor heat because she normally flies fuel-injected airplanes.
The fuselage, both wings, and vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot's operating handbook for the accident airplane states in part:
Balked Landing 1. Power – FULL THROTTLE and 2400 RPM [revolutions per minute]. 2. Carburetor Heat – COLD. 3. Wing Flaps – RETRACT to 20 degrees. 4. Climb Speed – 75 KIAS [knots indicated airspeed]. 5. Wing Flaps – RETRACT slowly after reach 75 KIAS. 6. Cowl Flaps – OPEN.
About the time of the accident, at the accident airport, an automated weather observing system reported the wind to be variable at 6 knots, a temperature of 66 degrees Fahrenheit(19 Celsius), and a dew point of 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 Celsius). The airport's elevation was 6,268 feet above mean sea level (MSL) and the density altitude was 8,108 feet above MSL.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration Koch Chart, an airplane would have experienced a 66% decrease to the normal rate of climb. The high density altitude and the pilot's failure to remove the carburetor heat likely contributed to the airplane touching down momentarily on the runway during the go-around.