GAA17CA318

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during an approach to runway 22, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway centerline. He initiated a go-around by turning off the carburetor heat, he applied full throttle, he increased the flaps from 30° to 20°, and he pushed forward on the yoke to increase airspeed. He noticed that the airplane began to settle into ground effect. He saw that the terrain began to rise and he recalled that the noise abatement procedure called for a right turn to 270°, so the pilot turned to the right before establishing a climb. The airplane descended into rising terrain, struck trees and impacted the ground and became engulfed in flames. The post-crash fire destroyed the airplane's fuselage. The METAR reported that the wind was variable at 4 kts. and the temperature was 84° Fahrenheit. The field elevation was 5,504 ft. and the altimeter setting was 30.14. The density altitude was 8,255 ft. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by reviewing the airplane's performance data and atmospheric conditions, especially density altitude and its effect on performance per the manufacturer pilot operating handbook. In the future, the pilot vowed to place greater emphasis on performance planning as an essential activity during flight planning. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, during an approach to runway 22, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway centerline. He initiated a go-around by turning off the carburetor heat, applying full throttle, decreasing the flaps from 30° to 20°, and pushing forward on the yoke to increase airspeed; the airplane then began to settle into ground effect. The pilot saw that the terrain began to rise, and he recalled that the noise abatement procedure called for a right turn to 270°, so he turned to the right before establishing a climb. The airplane descended into rising terrain, struck trees, and impacted the ground and became engulfed in flames. The postcrash fire destroyed the fuselage. The METAR reported that the wind was variable at 4 knots and that the temperature was 84°F. The field elevation was 5,504 ft, and the altimeter setting was 30.14 inches of mercury. The density altitude was 8,255 ft. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by reviewing the airplane's performance data and atmospheric conditions, especially density altitude and its effect on performance per the manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook. The pilot stated that he would place greater emphasis on performance planning as an essential activity during flight planning. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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 Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Performance calculations-Pilot - C
• C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-High density altitude-Effect on operation - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Climb capability-Not attained/maintained - C