Amateur-built RV7 N566WV accident near Ocracoke, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain lateral control during an attempted aborted landing, which resulted in impact with trees.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during the first approach to land, the airplane was high, and he chose to abort the landing. During the second approach, the airplane was again high, and he used a forward slip to descend. Upon crossing the runway threshold, he realized the airplane was drifting left of the runway. He again aborted the landing and applied full power. However, the airplane pitched up, continued to drift left, and impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the left and right wings, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA499 for the full record.