BFO95LA074

The pilot reported that he attempted to land at dusk, on an unlit turf runway. He stated that the airplane was high and fast during the approach to landing, so he elected to go around. The pilot stated that he went to full power and placed the flaps to the 30 degree position. The pilot was maneuvering the airplane in an attempt to avoid a gas station located at the end of the runway when he realized he did not have enough airspeed to climb over wires. The pilot-rated-passenger stated that he heard the stall warning horn prior to the collision with the wires. The airplane operating handbook advises pilots to reduce wing flap setting to 20 degrees immediately after full power is applied for a go around.

On June 22, 1995, at 2100 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6403B, was destroyed during a go around attempt at Exit 3 Airport, a private grass airstrip near Wauseon, Ohio. The pilot and the one passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and originated from Hillsdale Municipal Airport, Hillsdale, Michigan, at approximately 2045 hours.

The 104 hour private pilot stated that it was dusk when he landed on the unlit turf runway. Because there was no wind, he turned the airplane around and took off in the opposite direction. The pilot stated that during the ensuing attempted landing, he decided to go around because the airplane was too high and too fast. The pilot reported that he applied full power and raised the flaps to the 30 degree position. The pilot recalled maneuvering the airplane in order to avoid a gas station located near the end of the runway when the "airplane ran out of airspeed". The passenger/private pilot stated he heard the stall warning horn prior to the collision with the telephone wires.

The Cessna 172 Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) states that in a balked landing (go-around) climb, reduce the wing flap setting to 20 degrees immediately after full power is applied. It further states that if obstacles must be cleared during the go-around climb, leave the wing flaps in the 10 degree to 20 degree range and maintain a safe airspeed until the obstacles are cleared. Excerpts from the POH are appended.