What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While intending/attempting to land on runway 12, the pilot touchdown smoothly then became airborne again and began to drift to the right of runway, the pilot attempted to regain directional control and applied power to execute a go-around. The pilot stated that it felt like a gust of crosswind occurred and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control during the attempted go around. The aircraft exited the runway at approximately a 30 degree angle through an alfalfa/hay field. The pilot was unable to achieve sufficient lift to climb out of ground effect and impacted/deflected off a known object (large round hay bale). Deflecting off the hay bale caused an abrupt nose up then subsequent nose down attitude with the airplane impacting the ground at a steep nose down attitude. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft propeller, engine, firewall, both wings, landing gear assemblies and empennage. The sole pilot sustained minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE INTENDING/ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 12, THE PILOT TOUCHDOWN SMOOTHLY THEN BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN AND BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT OF RUNWAY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND APPLIED POWER TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT IT FELT LIKE A GUST OF CROSSWIND OCCURRED AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY AT APPROXIMATELY A 30 DEGREE ANGLE THROUGH AN ALFALFA/HAY FIELD. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ACHIEVE SUFFICIENT LIFT TO CLIMB OUT OF GROUND EFFECT AND IMPACTED/DEFLECTED OFF A KNOWN OBJECT (LARGE ROUND HAY BALE). DEFLECTING OFF THE HAY BALE CAUSED AN ABRUPT NOSE UP THEN SUBSEQUENT NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE AIRPLANE IMPACTING THE GROUND AT A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE IMPACT CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER, ENGINE, FIREWALL, BOTH WINGS, LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLIES AND EMPENNAGE. THE SOLE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.