GAA15CA004

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he entered a right traffic pattern for runway 19; on his first approach he noted that he was going to overshoot the runway and executed a go-around procedure. On his second attempt after he touched down on the runway, he reported a "radical" right quartering tail wind that pushed the airplane to the left of the runway. The airplane's left main tire departed the asphalt surface, the pilot then attempted a go-around by advancing the throttle to full and decreasing the flaps to 50 percent. The pilot stated that he was not gaining lift and the stall warning horn was audible. Subsequently the airplane impacted a ditch and bounced about 10 feet which resulted in substantial damage to the spar carry-through on the bottom of the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he entered a right traffic pattern for runway 19; on his first approach he noted that he was going to overshoot the runway and executed a go-around procedure. On his second attempt after he touched down on the runway, he reported a "radical" right quartering tail wind that pushed the airplane to the left of the runway. The airplane's left main tire departed the asphalt surface, the pilot then attempted a go-around by advancing the throttle to full and decreasing the flaps to 50 percent. The pilot stated that he was not gaining lift and the stall warning horn was audible. Subsequently the airplane impacted a ditch and bounced about 10 feet which resulted in substantial damage to the spar carry-through on the bottom of the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation