Accident Overview
During a landing attempt, the airplane bounced multiple times. The pilot added power and reduced the flaps to initiate a go-around. However, the airplane did not climb more than 25 ft. The pilot waited to see if the situation would improve, but he ran out of runway. He then turned right, still unable to climb, reduced power, and landed off the airport. The airplane bounced a few times during this off-airport landing, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
Pilot's Account
The pilot speculated that "putting the flaps up un-incrementally could have prevented" his ability to climb. He reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 4 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 250° at 7 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 28.
Relevant Guidance
The Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3B, contains a section titled "Go-Arounds (Rejected Landings)" which states: "Caution must be used in retracting the flaps. Depending on the airplane's altitude and airspeed, it is wise to retract the flaps intermittently in small increments to allow time for the airplane to accelerate progressively as they are being raised. A sudden and complete retraction of the flaps could cause a loss of lift resulting in the airplane settling into the ground."