Burlington, WA, USA
N65ZA
PZL Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 Wilga 35A
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings on runway 10 at the Skagit Regional airport. On the eighth landing the pilot encountered a sudden gust of wind approximately five feet above ground and executed a go around maneuver. He reported that his passenger panicked inadvertently pushing the control stick full forward. The aircraft nosed down steeply to a hard landing impacting the propeller on the runway. The pilot reported that "...better communication & briefing of passenger about go-around may have prevented panic by passenger...." Winds at Arlington Municipal airport, situated 21 nautical miles southeast of Burlington airport, at 1255 on the afternoon of the accident were reported as coming from 120 degrees magnetic at 17 knots with gusts to 20 knots.
On March 29, 2004, approximately 1300 Pacific standard time, a PZL 104 Wilga 35A experimentally certificated aircraft, N65ZA, registered to a resident of Gig Harbor, Washington, and being operated/flown by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an abrupt maneuver/hard landing during a go around at the Skagit Regional airport (BVS), Burlington, Washington. Neither the pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14CFR91, and originated at BVS shortly after noon. The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings on runway 10. On the eighth landing the pilot encountered a sudden gust of wind approximately five feet above ground and executed a go around maneuver. He reported that his passenger panicked inadvertently pushing the control stick full forward. The aircraft nosed down steeply to a hard landing impacting the propeller on the runway. The pilot reported that "...better communication & briefing of passenger about go-around may have prevented panic by passenger..." (refer to NTSB Form 6120.1/2). Winds at Arlington Municipal airport, situated 21 nautical miles southeast of Burlington airport, at 1255 on the afternoon of the accident were reported as coming from 120 degrees magnetic at 17 knots with gusts to 20 knots.
The passenger's interference with flight controls during a go-around maneuver. Contributing to the accident were the passenger's anxiety/apprehension, the pilot's inadequate brief to the passenger about potential control interference, and the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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