N10680

On November 10, 2001, about 1140 mountain standard time, a Cessna 150L, N10680, collided with the runway during an attempted go-around at Nogales, Arizona. Alpha Air, Inc., was operating the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot sustained serious injuries and one passenger sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Ryan Field, Tucson, Arizona, about 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot submitted a written statement. He reported that he crossed the airport at midfield while maintaining a heading of 160 degrees to enter the left down wind for runway 21. He recalled that the winds were from 120 degrees at 9 knots. While on downwind, he was aware that the wind was pushing him toward the runway and he had to correct more than he expected to stay parallel to the runway. As he turned to the base leg, he reduced power and selected 20 degrees of flaps. The wind continued to push him toward the runway, so he made a continuous turn to final. Once established on final, he lowered the flaps to 40 degrees, maintained 65 mph, and crabbed into the wind.

The pilot said the approach was stable and he was maintaining centerline until he flared. He felt he must have taken some of his correction out, because just prior to touchdown the airplane moved to the right side of the runway. The left main landing gear touched down near the edge of the runway. He felt that if he continued the landing attempt, the right main and nose landing gear would be off the runway in dirt, and he would be in position to collide with the lights along the runway. He elected to attempt a go-around.

The pilot said he added full power and the nose of the airplane pitched up. A witness told him that the airplane bounced about 40 feet back into the air. The pilot said the airplane stalled, turned to the left, and struck the ground in a nose down, left wing low attitude near midfield. Both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.