N46029

On November 9, 1997, about 1715 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172I, N46029, registered to a private owner, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, impacted with trees while attempting a go-around at Mathis Airport, Cummings, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot was seriously injured, and one passenger received minor injures. The flight had departed from Tampa, Florida, about 1300.

According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, he entered the airport's traffic pattern from the southwest on a crosswind for runway 03. He decided to "over fly" the airport at an altitude of "50 to 70 feet agl [above ground level] to look at [the] runway condition and wind velocity and direction by windsock." He determined that there was a "crosswind from left to right 10-15 mph." In addition, the pilot wrote in his statement, "runway narrow with airplanes tied down 30 feet to [the] left of runway and 20 to 30 feet below runway surface-no guard rail."

On the first landing the pilot said he slowed the approach to "80 mph" on the downwind leg and "70" mph on the final approach. He did not like the "feel of the landing" and aborted. The airplane did not touchdown.

On the second landing attempt, he was high over a hill at the approach end of runway 03, and "in a slip to loose altitude." The pilot said, "... flair over end, touched down about halfway down runway and applied brakes hard. Did not think I had enough runway to brake to a full stop so I applied full throttle to go around and became airborne...soon after the right landing gear struck a tree top turning 30 degrees right...nose down...the right wing struck a tree then the left wing struck another tree."

Runway 03 was 1,550 long, 20 feet wide, and sloped downhill. According to the FAA inspector's statement, "...a witness stated the aircraft landed downwind and long." The reported winds were from 300 degrees at 16 knots.