NYC97LA044

The airplane struck trees as the pilot tried to do a go-around. The pilot said that when he attempted the landing, '...the left side of the runway had a quartering wind. I'm making a perfect landing - all the numbers are right, airspeed, etc. - when all of a sudden everything goes bad. I gave power to go around and the plane balloons up twenty feet in the air. I'm pushing the nose down to get back to the runway but the plane keeps going to the left. I believe the nose struck the ground first.' The passenger said, '. It seemed like we were landing and taking off at the same time. We hit nose first and cartwheeled into the woods. We went backwards into the woods. One wing tore off. There was gasoline everywhere.' The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction. Examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.

On January 19, 1997, at 1530 eastern standard time, a Mooney 20F, N7112V, was destroyed when it contacted terrain and collided with trees during an attempted go around on Runway 34 at the Silver Ranch Airport (AFN) near Jaffrey, New Hampshire. The certificated private pilot and the one passenger each sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The personal pleasure flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 originated at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport (EEN) in Keene, New Hampshire at 1500 with an intended destination of Jaffrey, New Hampshire (AFN).

The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to enjoy some scenery and then land at Silver Ranch (AFN) for fuel. The pilot said that when he attempted the landing, "...the left side of the runway had a quartering wind. I'm making a perfect landing - all the numbers are right, airspeed, etc. - when all of a sudden everything goes bad. I gave power to go around and the plane balloons up twenty feet in the air. I'm pushing the nose down to get back to the runway but the plane keeps going to the left. I believe the nose struck the ground first." The airplane subsequently struck trees and came to rest upright and facing opposite the direction of travel.

The passenger reported that the airplane was "...coming down OK and touched down lightly. The plane tipped and [the pilot] accelerated to go around. We picked up. [The pilot] tried to compensate but he couldn't. It seemed like we were landing and taking off at the same time. We hit nose first and cartwheeled into the woods. We went backwards into the woods. One wing tore off. There was gasoline everywhere."

A post accident examination of the airplane conducted by an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector revealed no pre-accident anomalies. The pilot reported to the Inspector that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane prior to the accident.