A Cessna 172 that crashed at Murwillumbah in October last year was not properly configured for a go-around according to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report released last week.
VH-JUA was on approach to Murwillumbah on 15 October 2023 when the pilot elected to perform a go-around. The pilot said that the engine didn't respond enough to throttle movement and the aircraft failed to climb, resulting in the pilot electing to make a forced landing in a paddock directly ahead.
The pilot walked way, but the Cessna was substantially damaged.
During the investigation, the ATSB noted that the flaps were set at full, which is 40o for that model. The POH calls for 20o for go-around, but the pilot stated he left the flaps at full to keep the stall speed low.
A witness to the accident recalled hearing the engine "pop" as the pilot commenced the go-around, an common event when the throttle is advanced too quickly.
Although the ATSB determined that there was a high probability of carburettor icing at approach power, the pilot said the engine performed normally during the approach.
"The ATSB found that it was unlikely there was a mechanical fault with the engine and that the pilot’s decision to maintain full flaps in the go-around created a large amount of drag and impaired the aircraft’s climb performance," the investigation report concludes.
"The ATSB also found that an unsecured nose-wheel steering tow bar in the aircraft that increased the risk of serious injury to the pilot."
The full investigation report is on the ATSB website.