Cessna 172P N52298 accident near Usafa, Colorado

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain a safe flying airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall during the go-around.

NTSB analysis

The airplane was landing at the destination airport in gusty wind conditions. The commercial pilot reported that the wind was aligned predominately down the runway with gusts approximately 10 knots above the steady state winds. When in the flare to land, the airplane would not settle to the runway normally. The pilot held the landing attitude and waited for the airplane to touch down. When the airplane floated past the pilot's planned touchdown zone, the pilot initiated a go-around. When the pilot selected full throttle and set a pitch attitude for the climb out, the airplane's stall warning horn came on. The pilot lowered the pitch and retracted wing flaps from 40 degrees to approximately 20 degrees. The airplane stalled, and the left wing and propeller contacted the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and came to rest in an upright position. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the left wing near the wing tip was bent upward and the firewall was buckled.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN09CA459 for the full record.