Poor landing, poor go around for student pilot

Aircraft: Mooney M20R. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Cypress, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The student pilot was practicing landings. He realized that he had touched down too far down the runway to be able to stop in the distance remaining, so he applied full power to go around.

The airplane lifted off but lacked sufficient altitude to avoid trees at the airport boundary. The airplane hit the trees and crashed in the backyard of a home near the airport, then caught fire.

Probable cause: The student pilot’s delayed decision to execute a go-around.

NTSB Identification: CEN11CA163

This January 2011 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.