Accident Overview
On July 4, 2017, at 1130 eastern daylight time, an Aviat Aircraft Inc. A-1C-180, registration N272WY, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Dillwyn, Virginia. The private pilot was seriously injured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported that he filled the airplane with fuel and departed his home airport for a private, paved airstrip located about 12 miles to the northwest. He was encouraged to visit a neighbor who owned a grass airstrip situated between the departure and destination airports. The pilot attempted to find that airstrip but "falsely identified" a different grass strip and attempted to land there. He executed two low approaches—the first with no flaps, the second with full flaps. On the third pass, he attempted to land with full flaps. After touchdown, he realized the remaining runway was insufficient and aborted the landing. Shortly after takeoff and clearing trees, the airplane "entered an abrupt stall" and impacted the ground.
The pilot believed he was at full power when control was lost. He also stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
On-Site Investigation
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration reported that the airplane came to rest in a steep, nose-low position in a cornfield. There was no fire. Structural damage was confirmed to both wings and the fuselage. The inspector noted that the field where the pilot attempted to land was a grass strip designed for radio-controlled model aircraft. The strip was oriented northeast/southwest, approximately 650 ft in length, and was not intended for general aviation aircraft. A large stand of trees formed the boundary at the northeast end of the runway.