What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 23, 2015, at approximately 0900 hour the pilot and one passenger, a certificated flight instructor, departed dutchess county airport (kpou) to perform some takeoffs and landings. After completing the takeoffs and landings, the pilot requested a departure from the pattern to Sky Acres Airport (44N). Upon his arrival, the pilot attempted to land the aircraft on runway 35. The pilot reported that he flared approximately 10 feet off the runway and encountered a violent wind shear and the left wing dropped rapidly. When the aircraft contacted the runway, it ballooned 20 feet further upward and was turned to the left, towards the adjacent tree line and rising terrain. The pilot reported that he applied full throttle and pushed the carburetor heat in immediately, in an attempt to go-around. The pilot reported that he made every effort to prevent the aircraft from stalling, to avoid the trees and to make it back to the runway. However, the left main landing gear made contact with the grass and then the left wing struck a tree trunk. The aircraft made an immediate 180 degree turn to the left around the tree while dragging the right horizontal stabilizer, then came to a full stop in the upright position. Occupants remained conscious, the engine was shut down and both occupants evacuated the aircraft, uninjured. The passenger, privacy data omitted, a current & certificated flight instructor, provided a written statement confirming the fact that he was not acting as the pilot in command of this flight. His written statement also corresponded to the pilot?s account of the event leading up to the accident. privacy data omitted Stated that they encountered the strongest windshear that he had ever witnessed, which exceeded the performance capability of the aircraft.
Property damage was limited to the aircraft and the single tree. No violations were noted.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 23, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 HOUR THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER, A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, DEPARTED DUTCHESS COUNTY AIRPORT (KPOU) TO PERFORM SOME TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. AFTER COMPLETING THE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, THE PILOT REQUESTED A DEPARTURE FROM THE PATTERN TO SKY ACRES AIRPORT (44N). UPON HIS ARRIVAL, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 35. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FLARED APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET OFF THE RUNWAY AND ENCOUNTERED A VIOLENT WIND SHEAR AND THE LEFT WING DROPPED RAPIDLY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, IT BALLOONED 20 FEET FURTHER UPWARD AND WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT, TOWARDS THE ADJACENT TREE LINE AND RISING TERRAIN. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND PUSHED THE CARBURETOR HEAT IN IMMEDIATELY, IN AN ATTEMPT TO GO-AROUND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM STALLING, TO AVOID THE TREES AND TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY. HOWEVER, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE GRASS AND THEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE TRUNK. THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT AROUND THE TREE WHILE DRAGGING THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, THEN CAME TO A FULL STOP IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. OCCUPANTS REMAINED CONSCIOUS, THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND BOTH OCCUPANTS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT, UNINJURED. THE PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CURRENT & CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT CONFIRMING THE FACT THAT HE WAS NOT ACTING AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF THIS FLIGHT. HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT ALSO CORRESPONDED TO THE PILOT?S ACCOUNT OF THE EVENT LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED THE STRONGEST WINDSHEAR THAT HE HAD EVER WITNESSED, WHICH EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT.
PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THE SINGLE TREE. NO VIOLATIONS WERE NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.