What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was flying at approximately 4,500 feet when he nearly hit a large goose, he then looked to the left and saw approximately 20 to 30 geese at which time he hit one goose with the propeller and engine cowling with others apparently colliding with the fuselage. The aircraft started to shutter and began an uncontrolled roll to the left which required a considerable amount of right aileron to maintain level flight. At this time the pilot began looking for a location to land the aircraft. The pilot located an open field that resembled a grass strip and initiated a 180 degree left downwind approach, aircraft flaps set at 20 percent and approximately 70 knots of airspeed. The aircraft touched down and while still at a high rate of speed was approaching a treeline, the pilot believed that he would not get the aircraft stopped in time so he initiated a go around, applied full throttle and rolled the aircraft to the left to make an opening between trees at which time the left wing impacted a tree approximately forty feet high, the aircraft spun 180 degrees with a nose down attitude and impacted the ground. (-23 amendment) pilot departed columbus, Georgia (csg) on a cross country f light to montgomery, Alabama (mgm) while working on his commercial rating. Pilot was flying at approximately 4,500 feet when he nearly hit a large goose, he then looked to the left and saw approximately 20 to 30 geese at which time he hit one goose with the propeller and engine cowling with others apparently colliding with the fuselage. The aircraft started to shutter and began an uncontrolled roll to the left which required a considerable amount of right aileron to maintain level flight. At this time the pilot began looking for a location to land the aircraft. The pilot located an open field that resembled a grass strip and initiated a 180 degree left downwind approach, aircraft flaps set at 20 percent and approximately 70 knots of airspeed. The aircraft touched down and while still at a high rate of speed was approaching a treeline, the pilot believed that he would not get the aircraft stopped in time so he initiated a go around, applied full throttle and rolled the aircraft to the left to make an opening between trees at which time the left wing impacted a tree approximately forty feet high, the aircraft spun 180 degrees with a nose down attitude.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 4,500 FEET WHEN HE NEARLY HIT A LARGE GOOSE, HE THEN LOOKED TO THE LEFT AND SAW APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 GEESE AT WHICH TIME HE HIT ONE GOOSE WITH THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE COWLING WITH OTHERS APPARENTLY COLLIDING WITH THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SHUTTER AND BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLED ROLL TO THE LEFT WHICH REQUIRED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RIGHT AILERON TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT BEGAN LOOKING FOR A LOCATION TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT LOCATED AN OPEN FIELD THAT RESEMBLED A GRASS STRIP AND INITIATED A 180 DEGREE LEFT DOWNWIND APPROACH, AIRCRAFT FLAPS SET AT 20 PERCENT AND APPROXIMATELY 70 KNOTS OF AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND WHILE STILL AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WAS APPROACHING A TREELINE, THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT HE WOULD NOT GET THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED IN TIME SO HE INITIATED A GO AROUND, APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT TO MAKE AN OPENING BETWEEN TREES AT WHICH TIME THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A TREE APPROXIMATELY FORTY FEET HIGH, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN 180 DEGREES WITH A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. (-23 AMENDMENT) PILOT DEPARTED COLUMBUS, GEORGIA (CSG) ON A CROSS COUNTRY F LIGHT TO MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA (MGM) WHILE WORKING ON HIS COMMERCIAL RATING. PILOT WAS FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 4,500 FEET WHEN HE NEARLY HIT A LARGE GOOSE, HE THEN LOOKED TO THE LEFT AND SAW APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 GEESE AT WHICH TIME HE HIT ONE GOOSE WITH THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE COWLING WITH OTHERS APPARENTLY COLLIDING WITH THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SHUTTER AND BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLED ROLL TO THE LEFT WHICH REQUIRED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RIGHT AILERON TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT BEGAN LOOKING FOR A LOCATION TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT LOCATED AN OPEN FIELD THAT RESEMBLED A GRASS STRIP AND INITIATED A 180 DEGREE LEFT DOWNWIND APPROACH, AIRCRAFT FLAPS SET AT 20 PERCENT AND APPROXIMATELY 70 KNOTS OF AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND WHILE STILL AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WAS APPROACHING A TREELINE, THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT HE WOULD NOT GET THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED IN TIME SO HE INITIATED A GO AROUND, APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT TO MAKE AN OPENING BETWEEN TREES AT WHICH TIME THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A TREE APPROXIMATELY FORTY FEET HIGH, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN 180 DEGREES WITH A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.