CHI96LA012

The accident occurred during an unplanned en route stop at trego Wakeeney airport. The pilot received no airport advisories and used the winds aloft to set up his approach to runway 35. The pilot did not see the wind sock until turning to base leg. The wind sock indicated the opposite wind direction, and the pilot continued the approach for landing. An eyewitness noticed the airplane was in a 40 degree angle of bank turning to final. The eyewitness also stated the pilot failed to overfly the airport to verify runway and wind conditions. The wind direction was reported out of 150 degrees at 15 knots with gusts of 20 knots. The pilot stated that a noticeable change in airspeed and lift occurred while turning final for runway 35. He said he applied full power, but could not control his rate of descent before contacting the ground in an open field about 500 feet short of the runway. After touchdown, the airplane continued about 300 feet, crossed a road, and hit a three foot high embankment (dirt bank).

On October 18, 1995, at 1245 central daylight time (cdt), a Piper PA-24-260, N8866P, registered to Boulder Aviators, Inc., of Boulder, Colorado, received substantial damage when the airplane landed short of runway 35 at the Trego Wakeeney Airport, Wakeeney, Kansas. The private pilot and one passenger reported minor injuries. A second passenger reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Boulder, Colorado, at 1108 cdt, with the intended destination of Hutchinson, Kansas.

The pilot said he radioed for airport advisories at Trego Wakeeney Airport, for an unplanned en route stop. He did not receive any response from the airport, and used the winds aloft (300 degrees at 7,500 feet) to plan his approach. The pilot entered a left downwind for runway 35 looking for a wind sock. When on downwind, he lowered the landing gear. On base leg, he noticed the wind sock was indicating winds from the opposite direction. The pilot stated, "...upon turning to final carrying approximately 90 mph, I noticed a change in airspeed and dramatic loss of lift, I immediately applied full power to do a go-around. The power application did not control our rate of descent as we struck the ground wings level and under full power... ." The airplane impacted 500 feet south of the runway and 300 feet to the west in an open field.

A witness stated, he was 250 feet south east of runway 17's approach threshold, and noticed that the airplane failed to overfly the airport to determine the wind direction which he reported as 150 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots. He stated, "...it was descending and turning left at a high bank angle of 40 degrees where I believe was the left turn from base leg to its final approach... ." The witness than lost sight of the airplane do to his location.