The owner of the Cessna 170, who was a student pilot, reported that the pilot-rated passenger was the pilot flying.
During landing at an airstrip in Stoney Point, N.C, the airplane bounced and the owner took control and initiated a go-around.
He stated that the airplane was slow to climb with the flaps fully extended and they cleared the first tree line, but hit another tree farther away from the airstrip.
The airplane came to rest upright among small diameter trees in a nose-low, tail high attitude with the right wing substantially damaged.
The owner, who sustained serious injuries in the crash, told investigators he did not recall anything after hitting the tree, but did say that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airframe or engine.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to retract the flaps during a go-around from a bounced landing, which resulted in a collision with trees then terrain.
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This April 2022 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I don’t get it. He was practically making a short field take off so why would an extended flap be a issue??
The so called “cause” makes no sense. It seems more likely that they initiated the go around too late. Maybe they had no choice. They couldn’t continue the landing as they may have ended up into the trees anyway so he gambled and decided to go around. Even if he did retract one notch of flap which is the manufacture’s recommendation, there’s no telling he would have cleared the last tree. No one knows for sure.
Sad. The small flaps on a strait Cessna 170 don’t contribute much drag..