FLAGSTAFF, AZ, USA
N3443E
CESSNA 172N
ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ON DUTY IN THE TOWER CAB, THE AIRCRAFT MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21, EACH TIME FLARING ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT INITIATED A GO AROUND FOLLOWING EACH ABORTED LANDING ATTEMPT. ON THE SECOND GO AROUND, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE LOW AND SLOW, AND, DURING A LEFT TURN, DESCENDED AND COLLIDED WITH TREES ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE OFFICIAL AIRPORT WEATHER OBSERVATION WAS REPORTING WINDS FROM 290 DEGREES AT SIX KNOTS DURING THE ACCIDENT TIME FRAME, WITH NO UNUSUAL METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA NOTED EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. IN HIS STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT GUSTING CROSS WINDS BLEW HIM AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY DURING EACH LANDING ATTEMPT. ON THE SECOND GO AROUND, THE PILOT SAID THAT A DOWNDRAFT PUSHED HIM INTO THE TREES AFTER HE HAD DRIFTED LEFT OVER THE WOODS. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE LEFT THE CARBURETOR HEAT IN THE ON POSITION DURING THE SECOND GO AROUND. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 8,700 FEET.
THE PILOT'S POOR AIRCRAFT HANDLING TECHNIQUES, HIS FAILURE TO CORRECTLY CONFIGURE THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL DURING THE GO AROUND, AND, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL MUSH CONDITION. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LOW TOTAL EXPERIENCE AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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