What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 17, 1999, at 1435 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N2339E, was struck by a gust of wind on approach for landing on runway 31, and impacted terrain after attempting a go-around at the castle airport, Merced, California. The aircraft, owned by the modesto flight center and operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and a non-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight that had originated at the modesto, California, airport at 1400 on the day of the accident. The flight was scheduled to terminate at the modesto airport. Wind conditions reported from a weather observation facility located at the modesto airport, approx. 30 nautical miles from the accident location, reported the winds to be from 300 degrees at 11 knots. In an interview with a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot stated that he had received his private pilot certificate that morning and was taking his father on his first flight as a private pilot. The pilot stated that they were going to go to castle airport to do a touch-and-go and then return to Merced. He stated that on the approach, the airplane was struck by a gust of wind from the left and the airplane veered to the left of the runway. The pilot stated that he attempted to do a go-around, with full throttle and full flaps down. The airplane nose pitched up "steeply", which "startled" him and retracted all of the flaps. He stated that the airplane settled back onto the ground and came to rest about 1,500 feet from the threshold and 150 feet to the right of the runway. The pilot further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or engine. (-23)the newly certificated private pilot had departed the modesto, CA. Airport about 35 minutes prior to the accident. He was executing an approach to runway 31 at castle airport. The pilot stated that wind from the left moved the aircraft over to the right of the runway. He applied full power in an attempt to go around. Following the application of full power the aircraft assumed a nose high attitude and began to lose airspeed. The pilot thought that the speed was too low so he retracted the flaps. The aircraft stalled and/or settled and impacted the ground. It came to rest about 150 feet RI ght of the runway about 1500 feet from the threshold of runway 31. On a heading of 220 degrees. The nose gear was torn off and both wings were substantially damaged. (.4) on September 17, 1999, at 1435 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N2339E, was struck by a gust of wind on approach for landing on runway 31, and impacted terrain after attempting a go-around at the castle airport, Merced, California. The aircraft, owned by the modesto flight center and operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and a non-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight that had originated at the modesto, California, airport at 1400 on the day of the accident. The flight was scheduled to terminate at the modesto airport. Wind conditions reported from a weather observation facility located at the modesto airport, approximately 30 nautical miles from the accident location, reported the winds to be from 300 degrees at 11 knots. The airport manager reported winds at castle airport were from the northwest, gusting to 5 knots. The pilot reported that the flight to castle airport was uneventful. On final approach, about 30 feet above the ground, he noted a strong quartering left headwind and corrected accordingly. After straightening the nose, a gust of wind pushed the left wing up, and blew the airplane off the runway. The pilot stated that he attempted to land, and when it became evident that he would not lnad on the runway, he applied full throttle and pushed the carburetor heat in to go around. He reported that he felt the airplane was going to stall because of the high angle of attack on the go-around, and he "threw the flaps all the way up..." He stated that theairplane did not have enough lift and the airplane impacted the ground from about 50 feet. He passengers reported that on final approach the pilot had commented that the windsock was indicating a crosswind. In an interview with a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot stated that he had received his private pilot certificate that morning and was taking his father on his first flight as a private pilot. The pilot stated that they were going to go to castle airport to do a touch-and-go and then return to Merced. The pilot further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or engine.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1999, AT 1435 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N2339E, WAS STRUCK BY A GUST OF WIND ON APPROACH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 31, AND IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND AT THE CASTLE AIRPORT, MERCED, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT, OWNED BY THE MODESTO FLIGHT CENTER AND OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND A NON-RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT HAD ORIGINATED AT THE MODESTO, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT AT 1400 ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE MODESTO AIRPORT. WIND CONDITIONS REPORTED FROM A WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY LOCATED AT THE MODESTO AIRPORT, APPROX. 30 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT LOCATION, REPORTED THE WINDS TO BE FROM 300 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE THAT MORNING AND WAS TAKING HIS FATHER ON HIS FIRST FLIGHT AS A PRIVATE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GO TO CASTLE AIRPORT TO DO A TOUCH-AND-GO AND THEN RETURN TO MERCED. HE STATED THAT ON THE APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE WAS STRUCK BY A GUST OF WIND FROM THE LEFT AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO DO A GO-AROUND, WITH FULL THROTTLE AND FULL FLAPS DOWN. THE AIRPLANE NOSE PITCHED UP "STEEPLY", WHICH "STARTLED" HIM AND RETRACTED ALL OF THE FLAPS. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE SETTLED BACK ONTO THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,500 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD AND 150 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. (-23)THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT HAD DEPARTED THE MODESTO, CA. AIRPORT ABOUT 35 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE WAS EXECUTING AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 31 AT CASTLE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT WIND FROM THE LEFT MOVED THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. HE APPLIED FULL POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND. FOLLOWING THE APPLICATION OF FULL POWER THE AIRCRAFT ASSUMED A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AND BEGAN TO LOSE AIRSPEED. THE PILOT THOUGHT THAT THE SPEED WAS TOO LOW SO HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND/OR SETTLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. IT CAME TO REST ABOUT 150 FEET RI GHT OF THE RUNWAY ABOUT 1500 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 31. ON A HEADING OF 220 DEGREES. THE NOSE GEAR WAS TORN OFF AND BOTH WINGS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. (.4) ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1999, AT 1435 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N2339E, WAS STRUCK BY A GUST OF WIND ON APPROACH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 31, AND IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND AT THE CASTLE AIRPORT, MERCED, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT, OWNED BY THE MODESTO FLIGHT CENTER AND OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND A NON-RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT HAD ORIGINATED AT THE MODESTO, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT AT 1400 ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE MODESTO AIRPORT. WIND CONDITIONS REPORTED FROM A WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY LOCATED AT THE MODESTO AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 30 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT LOCATION, REPORTED THE WINDS TO BE FROM 300 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS. THE AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED WINDS AT CASTLE AIRPORT WERE FROM THE NORTHWEST, GUSTING TO 5 KNOTS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT TO CASTLE AIRPORT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON FINAL APPROACH, ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, HE NOTED A STRONG QUARTERING LEFT HEADWIND AND CORRECTED ACCORDINGLY. AFTER STRAIGHTENING THE NOSE, A GUST OF WIND PUSHED THE LEFT WING UP, AND BLEW THE AIRPLANE OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND, AND WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT HE WOULD NOT LNAD ON THE RUNWAY, HE APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND PUSHED THE CARBURETOR HEAT IN TO GO AROUND. HE REPORTED THAT HE FELT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO STALL BECAUSE OF THE HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK ON THE GO-AROUND, AND HE "THREW THE FLAPS ALL THE WAY UP..." HE STATED THAT THEAIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIFT AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND FROM ABOUT 50 FEET. HE PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT HAD COMMENTED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS INDICATING A CROSSWIND. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE THAT MORNING AND WAS TAKING HIS FATHER ON HIS FIRST FLIGHT AS A PRIVATE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GO TO CASTLE AIRPORT TO DO A TOUCH-AND-GO AND THEN RETURN TO MERCED. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.