What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot reported that he lost control of aircraft while attempting a short field landing on a private airport. According to the pilot, during his approach to runway 30 the windsock was limp. Just before touchdown a strong gust of wing caught his aircraft and started veering his aircraft to the left of the runway. Pilot attempted to compensate for drift with a hard right aileron and rudder. Pilot estimated that the aircraft's right wing was dipped about 30 degrees low. Pilot stated that he was unable to compensate for drift. Pilot attempted a go around and applied full power then raised the aircraft flaps from 30-35 degrees to 20 degrees. The aircraft at about 10 feet struck some trees lined up adjacent to the left side of the runway. This was the point where the aircraft appears to have cart wheeled off of the trees, aircraft nose impacted the ground and came to rest in a vertical position nose to earth leaning against a tree. The pilot stated that he had lined up for an approach on runway 30. California department of forestry based across from the airport and whom responded to this accident reported that the wind direction was blowing from the south to southwest at 8 to 10 knots and gusting.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING A SHORT FIELD LANDING ON A PRIVATE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING HIS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 30 THE WINDSOCK WAS LIMP. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN A STRONG GUST OF WING CAUGHT HIS AIRCRAFT AND STARTED VEERING HIS AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO COMPENSATE FOR DRIFT WITH A HARD RIGHT AILERON AND RUDDER. PILOT ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING WAS DIPPED ABOUT 30 DEGREES LOW. PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR DRIFT. PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND AND APPLIED FULL POWER THEN RAISED THE AIRCRAFT FLAPS FROM 30-35 DEGREES TO 20 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT AT ABOUT 10 FEET STRUCK SOME TREES LINED UP ADJACENT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THIS WAS THE POINT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE CART WHEELED OFF OF THE TREES, AIRCRAFT NOSE IMPACTED THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST IN A VERTICAL POSITION NOSE TO EARTH LEANING AGAINST A TREE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD LINED UP FOR AN APPROACH ON RUNWAY 30. CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY BASED ACROSS FROM THE AIRPORT AND WHOM RESPONDED TO THIS ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT THE WIND DIRECTION WAS BLOWING FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 8 TO 10 KNOTS AND GUSTING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.