Event BFO96LA013

Factual narrative

On October 22, 1995, at 1420 eastern daylight time, a Zenair CH 2000, N9151Z, impacted the ground during a go around attempt at Hummel Field, in Saluda, Virginia. The student pilot, the sole occupant, received serious injuries and the airplane was destroyed. A VFR flight plan had been filed and activated. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Shannon Airport, Fredericksburg, Virginia at 1339 eastern daylight time. The student pilot stated that he was on his first solo cross country flight. He reported that, upon arrival at Saluda, he decided to execute a go around in order to get a feel for the winds and the short runway. The student pilot stated that the go around went as planned and he felt comfortable with the landing conditions. He reported that his airport traffic pattern and airspeed control for the full stop landing was just how his instructor had shown him, and that everything was normal until just prior to touchdown. He stated that at that point a sudden gust of wind lifted the airplane and pushed it to the left of the runway. The student pilot thought he was too high to land on the remaining runway, so he performed a go around. He stated that he applied full power but did not have the time to bring the flaps up. In his written statement, the student pilot stated "...the wind had blown me...toward a grove of hardwood trees... ." He indicated that he felt that his only option was to pull the yoke back and turn left to climb over the trees. The student pilot stated that he thought he was climbing very steeply and felt that he had missed the trees. The next thing the pilot was able to remember was when he impacted the ground in a field near trees. The wreckage was located in a field between two groves of trees, approximately 350 feet from the runway on its original heading. There was no evidence or claim of preimpact mechanical malfunction. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING HIS FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. HE REPORTED THAT UPON ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, HE PERFORMED A LOW APPROACH AND AN INTENTIONAL GO AROUND TO GET A FEEL FOR THE WINDS AND THE SHORT RUNWAY. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE LANDING CONDITIONS, AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. HE STATED THAT THE APPROACH SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, WHEN A STRONG GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE AIRPLANE AND PUSHED IT TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE STUDENT PILOT INITIATED A GO AROUND. HE REPORTED THAT HE APPLIED FULL POWER BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO RAISE THE FLAPS. HE STATED THAT THE WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE TOWARD A GROVE OF TREES, AND THAT HE PULLED THE YOKE BACK AND BANKED TO THE LEFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE TREES. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A SOYBEAN FIELD ADJACENT TO THE GROVE OF TREES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12