N72344

On May 31, 1996, at approximately 1130 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 140, N72344, sustained substantial damage during an attempted go-around after bouncing during landing on runway 16 at Pierce County-Thun Field, Puyallup, Washington. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR 91 flight from Auburn, Washington.

The pilot reported: "...I bounced quite hard, bounced quite hard a second time and decided to go around. I gave full throttle and shot off towards the trees to the side. The next thing I knew, I was in the trees." An FAA inspector who responded to the scene reported that the pilot bounced twice on landing before the aircraft veered left off the runway and went into an area of "scotch broom." The inspector reported that the pilot told her she had retracted the flaps from full down to full up and added power immediately prior to the loss of control. The FAA inspector also reported that the aircraft's carburetor heat control was in the "on" position.

Puyallup runway 16 is 3,650 feet long and 60 feet wide. Winds at McChord Air Force Base, 8 nautical miles west of Thun Field, were reported from 260 degrees magnetic at 4 knots at 1155.