NTSB Factual Report

On June 20, 2004, at approximately 0940 central daylight time, a Beech A23, N1435L, registered to and operated by the private pilot, collided with trees during an attempted takeoff from Hunter field in Columbia, Tennessee. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot received minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Maury County Airport Nashville, Tennessee, at 0900.

The pilot made a touch and go landing followed by a full stop at John A. Baker Field, Hohenwald, TN (0M3). The pilot departed John A. Baker Field and decided to make a full-stop landing at Hunter Field. The pilot established an approach to land on runway 23 with full flaps, he landed just past the threshold. The pilot stated he had landed with too much airspeed and retracted his flaps to help with his braking. He then decided that he did not have enough runway left to make a full stop landing and applied full power in an attempt to make a go-around. The pilot reports that the airplane cleared the end of the runway with a slight climb and collided with the trees on the departure end of the runway.

According to a witness, the pilot was "landing but had misjudged the landing field and ran out of runway, so he took off again but failed to gain altitude and drifted sideways into trees."

The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane during the flight. The pilot reported in the recommendation section of the pilot report that " the decision to go around should have been made earlier and flaps should have been re-lowered to assist in lift."

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during climb and the pilot's failure to execute a go-around before completing the approach to land.