Factual Information
On Saturday 22 May 2021 at 15:00 local time, a Cessna 172S, registration LN-AGT, operated by Gjøvik og Toten Flyklubb, was involved in an accident at Reinsvoll flyplass (ENRV) in Innlandet county, Norway. The aircraft was on a sightseeing flight over the Mjøs area with one pilot and two passengers. No persons on board were injured.
Accident Sequence
The flight departed Reinsvoll from runway 34 and was uneventful until the approach. After locating the airport, the pilot made a normal approach to runway 34. During final approach, a tractor performing runway edge maintenance was observed near the runway, prompting the pilot to abort the landing out of caution.
Subsequently, five landing attempts were made. Wind direction and strength changed during these attempts. The pilot observed rain showers south of the airport moving northward while conducting approaches from the south on runway 34.
On the fifth attempt, the aircraft landed too far down the runway, touched down hard, and bounced. The pilot initiated a go-around but was unable to avoid collision with three spruce treetops in the extension of the runway. During the go-around, the aircraft's stall warning activated, indicating low speed.
After the collision, the pilot decided to divert to Hamar Airport, finding it less demanding to land. During landing at Hamar runway 15, the pilot experienced difficulties because the elevator contacted the horizontal stabilizer due to damage. Despite this, a controlled landing was executed.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 172S, owned and operated by Gjøvik og Toten Flyklubb. The pilot was a private pilot from the club. No injuries were reported among the three occupants.
Probable Cause
The accident resulted from a go-around initiated too late for the aircraft to establish safe altitude above treetops in the extension of runway 34. Significant tailwind caused the aircraft to land far along the runway, and the pilot did not establish the best climb rate per manufacturer recommendations. Aircraft mass contributed to reduced lift.