Amateur-built DRAGONFLY N764JM accident near Durango, Colorado

Probable cause

The pilot’s delayed decision to perform a go-around, which resulted in the airplane impacting trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inexperience in the accident airplane and his encounter with conditions that exceeded his capabilities.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during each of three previous attempts to land at the destination airport, he encountered turbulence just before the airplane touched down and decided to perform go-arounds. He stated that during the accident landing, the airplane was not properly aligned with the runway centerline before touchdown due to his “over-correction of the rudder.” The pilot applied power to perform another go-around, and the airplane began to “porpoise” as the pilot attempted to climb away from the runway. The airplane collided with trees, and the wing and canard sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further stated that he was inexperienced in the accident airplane in turbulence near ground level and that he should have revised his destination to an airport with a wider runway and no nearby trees.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13CA026 for the full record.