What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 25, 2012, N2570C collided with trees following a balked landing. The aircraft was en route from north carolina to Florida for the annual "sun n fun" aviation event. Prior to arrival in lakeland, FL the aircraft attempted a landing at sheets airport (FA42) in Groveland, FL.sheets airport is equipped with the following runways:runway 18 & 36 which is 2000 feet long and 115 feet wide. Runway surface is turf. Runway 9 & 37 which is 1780 feet long and 155 feet wide. Runway surface is turf. The estimated weather at sheets airport at the time of the accident was:winds 270 degrees to 300 degrees at 8 to 17 knots, gusting to 27 knots. Sky clear.a witness located at the approach end of runway 18 stated that he heard an aircraft on final approach and walked outside to watch. The witness observed the aircraft coming in at a "steep angle". The main wheels of N2570C touched down approximately halfway down runway 18. The aircraft was further observed to bounce as a result of this first touchdown attempt. Becoming airborne again and bouncing twice more before drifting left towards a set of tangerine trees. The witness heard the aircraft apply power and the pitch attitude of the aircraft increase sharply. At this point the left wing tip of N2570C made contact with a tangerine tree. The force applied to the left wing caused the aircraft to rotate 90 degrees to the left and impact additional trees located in the area. The left wing received substantial damage from the group of trees. The nose gear collapsed. One of the three propeller blades was broken at the root and the other two sustained damage at the tip of each blade. The leading edge of the right wing also sustained some puncture damage halfway between the wing tip and root.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 25, 2012, N2570C COLLIDED WITH TREES FOLLOWING A BALKED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EN ROUTE FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO FLORIDA FOR THE ANNUAL "SUN N FUN" AVIATION EVENT. PRIOR TO ARRIVAL IN LAKELAND, FL THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED A LANDING AT SHEETS AIRPORT (FA42) IN GROVELAND, FL.SHEETS AIRPORT IS EQUIPPED WITH THE FOLLOWING RUNWAYS:RUNWAY 18 & 36 WHICH IS 2000 FEET LONG AND 115 FEET WIDE. RUNWAY SURFACE IS TURF.RUNWAY 9 & 37 WHICH IS 1780 FEET LONG AND 155 FEET WIDE. RUNWAY SURFACE IS TURF.THE ESTIMATED WEATHER AT SHEETS AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS:WINDS 270 DEGREES TO 300 DEGREES AT 8 TO 17 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 27 KNOTS. SKY CLEAR.A WITNESS LOCATED AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18 STATED THAT HE HEARD AN AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH AND WALKED OUTSIDE TO WATCH. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT COMING IN AT A "STEEP ANGLE". THE MAIN WHEELS OF N2570C TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY DOWN RUNWAY 18. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FURTHER OBSERVED TO BOUNCE AS A RESULT OF THIS FIRST TOUCHDOWN ATTEMPT. BECOMING AIRBORNE AGAIN AND BOUNCING TWICE MORE BEFORE DRIFTING LEFT TOWARDS A SET OF TANGERINE TREES. THE WITNESS HEARD THE AIRCRAFT APPLY POWER AND THE PITCH ATTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT INCREASE SHARPLY. AT THIS POINT THE LEFT WING TIP OF N2570C MADE CONTACT WITH A TANGERINE TREE. THE FORCE APPLIED TO THE LEFT WING CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROTATE 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND IMPACT ADDITIONAL TREES LOCATED IN THE AREA.THE LEFT WING RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM THE GROUP OF TREES. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. ONE OF THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES WAS BROKEN AT THE ROOT AND THE OTHER TWO SUSTAINED DAMAGE AT THE TIP OF EACH BLADE. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING ALSO SUSTAINED SOME PUNCTURE DAMAGE HALFWAY BETWEEN THE WING TIP AND ROOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.