What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 25, 1998 at approximately 1040 CDT a Cessna 172K, N79006 crashed into trees after attempting a landing and subsequent go-around on runway 31 at Eagle River, WI. Pilot states wind shifted during landing approach. The aircraft entered an area of trees tail first coming to rest, nose and right wing down, against two trees. The entire fuselage sustained substantial damage as did both wings. Mr. Lynn a. kirsteatter was the PIC of this pleasure flight operated under crf 14 part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. Neither the pilot or any of his three passengers were injured. (.4)the pilot reported that when he flew over the airport at mid-field, the wind 'was switching around to the point that runway 31 would be a better choice.' As he was approaching runway 31 on short final, the airplane was not slowing down. He looked at the wind sock and it indicated that the wind was 'almost directly behind me.' He removed carburetor heat, applied full power, and raised the flaps. Initially the airplane started to accelerate, but then it 'seemed to slightly sink.' He reported that all he could see was the tops of trees so he 'pulled the nose up as high as he could to stall the airplane.' The airplane settled through the trees. The pilot did not claim that there was anything wrong with the airplane prior to the impact. The pilot information manual stated the procedures for a balked landing were: 'in a balked landing (go-around) climb, reduce the wing flap setting to 20 degrees immediately after full power is applied. If obstacles must be cleared during the go-around, leave the wing flaps in the 10 degrees to 20 degrees range until the obstacles are cleared. After clearing any obstacles the flaps may be retracted as the airplane accelerates to the normal flaps-up climb speed of 80 to 90 mph.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 25, 1998 AT APPROXIMATELY 1040 CDT A CESSNA 172K, N79006 CRASHED INTO TREES AFTER ATTEMPTING A LANDING AND SUBSEQUENT GO-AROUND ON RUNWAY 31 AT EAGLE RIVER, WI. PILOT STATES WIND SHIFTED DURING LANDING APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED AN AREA OF TREES TAIL FIRST COMING TO REST, NOSE AND RIGHT WING DOWN, AGAINST TWO TREES. THE ENTIRE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS DID BOTH WINGS. MR. LYNN A. KIRSTEATTER WAS THE PIC OF THIS PLEASURE FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER CRF 14 PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. NEITHER THE PILOT OR ANY OF HIS THREE PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE FLEW OVER THE AIRPORT AT MID-FIELD, THE WIND 'WAS SWITCHING AROUND TO THE POINT THAT RUNWAY 31 WOULD BE A BETTER CHOICE.' AS HE WAS APPROACHING RUNWAY 31 ON SHORT FINAL, THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. HE LOOKED AT THE WIND SOCK AND IT INDICATED THAT THE WIND WAS 'ALMOST DIRECTLY BEHIND ME.' HE REMOVED CARBURETOR HEAT, APPLIED FULL POWER, AND RAISED THE FLAPS. INITIALLY THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT THEN IT 'SEEMED TO SLIGHTLY SINK.' HE REPORTED THAT ALL HE COULD SEE WAS THE TOPS OF TREES SO HE 'PULLED THE NOSE UP AS HIGH AS HE COULD TO STALL THE AIRPLANE.' THE AIRPLANE SETTLED THROUGH THE TREES. THE PILOT DID NOT CLAIM THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE IMPACT. THE PILOT INFORMATION MANUAL STATED THE PROCEDURES FOR A BALKED LANDING WERE: 'IN A BALKED LANDING (GO-AROUND) CLIMB, REDUCE THE WING FLAP SETTING TO 20 DEGREES IMMEDIATELY AFTER FULL POWER IS APPLIED. IF OBSTACLES MUST BE CLEARED DURING THE GO-AROUND, LEAVE THE WING FLAPS IN THE 10 DEGREES TO 20 DEGREES RANGE UNTIL THE OBSTACLES ARE CLEARED. AFTER CLEARING ANY OBSTACLES THE FLAPS MAY BE RETRACTED AS THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATES TO THE NORMAL FLAPS-UP CLIMB SPEED OF 80 TO 90 MPH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.