CHI00LA182

The student pilot was attempting a soft-field landing, under the supervision of his flight instructor, and during a go-around lost control of the aircraft, striking a runway edge light with the airplane's horizontal stabilizer and elevator.

On July 5, 2000, at 1310 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172R, N996WW, piloted by a certified flight instructor and a dual student was substantially damaged during a loss of control and subsequent collision with a runway edge light, during a go-around on runway 09 (2,500 feet by 100 feet, dry turf), at David's Airport (9C2), Athens, Michigan. The local instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight instructor and student-pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed the W. K. Kellogg Airport, Battle Creek, Michigan at 1245.

According to the flight instructor's written statement, the purpose of the flight was to practice soft-field landings. The flight instructor stated, "We entered left traffic for runway 09 at 9C2 and completed all appropriate checklists and radio calls. On final approach my student maintained a normal descent angle and approach speed. In the roundout my student overflared and maintained flare angle, depleting airspeed. My student then called "go-around", added full power, but did not retract flaps or lower the nose[.] The aircraft skipped off the runway. The left main struck first causing the aircraft to yaw left of center line. I took the controls and pushed the nose forward and regained the runway centerline. After centerline was established I executed a normal soft field landing. Upon taxi back we noticed that the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were damaged. I then taxied clear of the runway, shut down, and inspect the damage. At that time I made the decision that the aircraft was not flyable."