ALDERPOINT, CA, USA
N51096
Cessna 150J
The pilot stated the weather was clear, but the winds were blustery and he estimated they were gusting erratically from the northwest between 20 and 25 knots. He said he experienced moderate to severe turbulence during the approach to the private grass strip, which was about 1,700 feet in length. He said he was aligned on final for the northerly-headed runway and maintaining 55 to 60 miles per hour. He touched down on the runway, and then a gust lifted him back into the air. As the aircraft started to float, he decided to execute a go-around. He applied takeoff power, but the aircraft contacted a tree that was 30 feet tall at the north end of the runway. The aircraft turned to the left, collided with a power line, the ground, and then skidded 75 feet before hitting a ranch bunkhouse.
On May 20, 1999, about 1600 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150J, N51096, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during a go-around at a private airstrip near Alderpoint, California. The commercial pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. He operated the aircraft under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The personal flight originated in Half Moon Bay, California, at 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated the weather was clear, but the winds were blustery and he estimated they were gusting erratically from the northwest between 20 and 25 knots. He said he experienced moderate to severe turbulence during the approach to the private grass strip, which was about 1,700 feet in length. He said he was aligned on final for the northerly-headed runway and maintaining 55 to 60 miles per hour. He touched down on the runway, and then a gust lifted him back into the air. As the aircraft started to float, he decided to execute a go-around. He applied takeoff power, but the aircraft contacted a tree that was 30 feet tall at the north end of the runway. The aircraft turned to the left, collided with a power line, the ground, and then skidded 75 feet before hitting a ranch bunkhouse.
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing turbulent, gusty wind conditions during the approach. Contributing factors were the pilot's delayed go-around maneuver, the gusty and turbulent winds, and the tree.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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