LAX94LA350

During the landing flare, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane drifted to the left of the runway. The pilot made a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane struck a windsock and then collided with the terrain. According to the owners manual, the airplane was capable of climbing at 640 fpm.

On September 4, 1994, at 1430 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N9699Q, collided with a windsock pole and crashed while attempting a go-around on runway 19 at a privately owned dirt airstrip near Rescue, California. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by T. Byers, Los Gatos, California, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and his passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Livermore Airport, Livermore, California, at 1330 hours.

The pilot told National Transportation Safety Board investigators in a telephone interview conducted on September 12, 1994, that during the landing flare the airplane drifted to the left. When the left main gear was over the left side of the runway, he applied power and began a go-around. During the initial climb, the airplane collided with a windsock pole.

He also said that the terrain slopes upward toward the south. The prevailing temperature was 75 degrees fahrenheit (23.9 degrees Celsius.)

The pilot reiterated his telephone statement in the accident report he submitted to the Safety Board. In the accident report, the pilot showed the temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius.) He also indicated that the airplane did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures.

According to the Cessna 172M Owner's Manual, the airplane at maximum gross weight can climb about 700 feet/minute at mean sea level (msl). At 5,000 feet mean sea level, the airplane can climb about 450 feet/minute. This data is based on standard temperature. (See Rate of Climb Graph as an exhibit of this report.)

The owner's manual also shows that the airplane's climb capability is decreased 20 feet/minute for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit above standard. At 1,450 feet msl the standard temperature is 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, according to the owner's manual, the airplane was capable of climbing about 640 feet/minute at the time of the accident.