The pilot overflew the 800-foot long remote airstrip and observed the windsock hanging limp. About the time he reached the approach end of the uphill-sloping runway, the airplane encountered a strong tailwind gust, which pushed it “…too far up the strip to land.” The pilot executed a go-around, but his decision was “too late,” and he was unable to out-climb terrain. During the go-around, the airplanes landing gear came in contact with low growing brush, and it flipped over onto its back. Ground witnesses later told the pilot the winds had been variable in direction and had been changing rapidly from nearly calm to gusting as high as 20 miles per hour.
November 1, 2009, Grangeville, Idaho, Piper PA-18-150
The pilot overflew the 800-foot long remote airstrip and observed the windsock hanging limp. About the time he reached the approach end of the uphill-sloping runway, the airplane encountered a strong tailwind gust, which pushed it "…too far up the strip to land." The pilot executed a go-around, but his decision was "too late," and he was unable to out-climb terrain.
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot encountered an unexpected strong tailwind gust during an initial landing attempt, making the remote airstrip too short to land safely.
- A delayed go-around led to the aircraft's landing gear contacting brush and flipping over due to inability to out-climb terrain.
- Witnesses later reported rapidly changing and gusting winds (up to 20 mph), despite the windsock initially appearing limp.
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