SEA97LA155

Immediately after touching down on the short grass airstrip, the pilot observed that an irrigation pipe had been laid out across the runway. He decided to abort the landing and apply full power. The airplane became airborne again and did not climb over the rising terrain and obstructions ahead of it. The airplane impacted a tree near the departure end of the airstrip. The owner of the airstrip stated that he advises all pilots to never attempt go-arounds at the airstrip. The pilot had previously landed at the airstrip on numerous occasions, and always to a full stop. On the day of the accident, the pilot made a straight-in approach to the airstrip without first surveying the landing area from the air. The pilot stated that he attempted to out climb the terrain with partial flaps and 42 miles per hour of airspeed during the aborted landing, but without success. Performance information charts indicate that the best climb speed should have been about 57 miles per hour and the flaps should have been retracted.

On June 28, 1997, about 1000 Pacific daylight time, N1182A, a Piper PA-18, operated by the owner/pilot, impacted trees and was substantially damaged during an aborted landing near Prineville, Oregon. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Prineville and was conducted under 14 CFR 91.

In a written statement (attached) sent to the Safety Board, the pilot stated that he was performing a touch-and-go landing on the airstrip when "...the engine seemed to lack power after lift off [and] the airplane did not perform as expected.... I drifted right [and was] unable to gain enough altitude to avoid terrain."

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector (statement attached) from Hillsboro, Oregon, the pilot was attempting to land on the private grass airstrip, known as the "Tailwheel Airport," at the time of the accident. The airport (diagram attached) consists of a grass runway that is about 1,700 feet in length, 100 feet in width, and is oriented in an east-west direction. The grass is about 6 to 8 inches in length. The runway ascends about 30 feet in altitude from about the center of the runway to its eastern end. A wire fence and 20-foot trees line the east end of the runway. There is also a high butte to the immediate south, and high terrain both to the east and north of the runway. The owner of the airstrip told the inspector that he advised every pilot who landed at his airstrip that they should "... never try to go around," because it is surrounded by rising terrain and obstacles on all sides.

The pilot told the inspector that immediately after touching down on the grass, the pilot observed that an irrigation pipe had been laid out across the runway. He decided to abort the landing attempt and apply full power. The airplane became airborne again. The pilot told the inspector that the airplane would not climb over the rising terrain, and wind gusts must have blown the airplane into trees off to the side of the runway. The pilot told the inspector that he remembered his airspeed indicator reading 42 miles per hour during the accident sequence, and that he retracted his flaps from full down to "one notch" down when he decided to abort the landing.

The pilot also told the inspector that he had landed at the airstrip on numerous occasions before, but always to a full stop. On the day of the accident, the pilot made a straight-in approach to the airstrip without first surveying the landing area from the air.

The FAA inspector surveyed the accident site, wreckage, and the airstrip two days after the accident. He stated that that he found evidence indicating that the airplane had become airborne about mid-way along the airstrip just to the west of an above-ground irrigation pipe. After becoming airborne, the airplane traveled about 1,000 feet horizontally over the runway and impacted a tree along the southeastern end of the runway along rising terrain.

The inspector partially disassembled and inspected the engine. He stated that he "... found no evidence to indicate any malfunction of the engine." He also stated: "Piper's operating and performance information charts indicate that the best climb speed should have been around 57.2 [miles per hour]. Flaps should be retracted."