N6743G

On August 4, 2005, approximately 1700 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150L, N6743G, impacted the terrain during an attempted go-around at Shoshone County Airport, Kellogg, Idaho. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal proficiency flight, which began about 15 minutes prior to the accident, and had remained in the traffic pattern at Shoshone Airport, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed.

According to the student pilot, who was practicing soft-field landings and takeoffs, he was on final for his second touch-and-go when he got slightly low after setting the flaps at 30 degrees. He therefore added power and did not add the last 10 degrees of flaps, and according to the pilot, this resulted in the aircraft being in an "appropriate" position on final. As he touched down in a slight crosswind, the aircraft bounced back into the air and drifted to the right side of the runway. Since at that time, the aircraft was heading off of the runway surface, the pilot elected to execute a go-around. To initiate the go-around, the pilot rapidly advanced the throttle, and the aircraft's engine momentarily coughed and sputtered, and the aircraft then began to settle back toward the ground. The pilot elected to continue the go-around, but turned back toward the runway. As he turned back toward the runway, the engine's performance increased to full power, but the aircraft's right wing dropped and contacted the terrain, followed almost immediately by the nosewheel impacting the dirt area alongside the runway.

During the investigation it was determined that at the beginning of the go-around, the pilot did not reposition the flaps to the 20 degree position as called for in the Pilot's Operating Handbook. It was also determined that the density altitude at the time was approximately 5,100 feet.