Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1C-180 N272WY accident near Dillwyn, Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot's selection of a grass airstrip that was of insufficient length for landing, and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during the go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot was attempting to land at an unfamiliar grass airstrip. He made two low approaches, and on the third attempt, he elected to land the airplane with full flaps. After touchdown, he realized that he had insufficient runway remaining on which to stop, so he aborted the landing. Shortly after takeoff and after clearing the trees, the airplane abruptly stalled and impacted the ground. The grass airstrip was designed for radio-controlled model airplanes and was only 650 ft long. A large stand of trees formed the boundary of the northeast end of the runway. The pilot reported that he misidentified the grass airstrip and that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA17LA229 for the full record.