HEBER CITY, UT, USA
N1379R
GRUMMAN AA-5
DURING FLIGHT, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TURBULENCE AND NOTICED LIGHTNING ON HIS INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. HE DIVERTED TO HEBER CITY TO AVOID WEATHER. ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WINDSHEAR AND A CROSSWIND AT ABOUT 75 FEET AGL. THE PILOT INITIATED A GO-AROUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO SETTLE. IT TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND BOUNCED BACK IN THE AIR. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE GO-AROUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE YAWED AND DRIFTED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, A WING TIP STRUCK A FENCE POST, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN AND WAS DAMAGED.
On July 2, 1993, at approximately 1715 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Grumman AA5, N1379R, touched down short of the runway, and impacted the terrain during an attempted go-around at Heber Valley Airport, Heber City, Utah. The FAA certificated private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The personal pleasure flight, which departed St. George Municipal Airport, St. George, Utah, at about 1500 MDT, was operating in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The aircraft was not on a filed flight plan, and there was no report of an ELT activation. The pilot, who had diverted into Heber Valley Airport after encountering thunderstorms and lightning along his intended route, said that he encountered strong crosswinds and "severe wind shear" while at about 75 feet AGL on short final. He therefore initiated a go-around, but the aircraft was forced toward the ground and made contact with the terrain short of the runway. It then bounced back into the air in a nose high, right yaw attitude. As the pilot was attempting to recover in order to continue his go-around, the aircraft drifted off to the side of the runway, collided with a fence post, and impacted the terrain.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT DURING THE GO-AROUND. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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