| Crash location | 48.281667°N, 114.223611°W |
| Nearest city | Kalispell, MT
48.195793°N, 114.312908°W 7.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N22HU |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 17 Feb 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Aviat Husky A-1 |
| Additional details: | None |
On February 17, 2005, approximately 1415 mountain standard time, a Aviat Husky A-1, N22HU, impacted a tree during an aborted landing at a private airstrip about six miles north of Kalispell, Montana. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, during his landing attempt at his private airstrip, the aircraft bounced high enough that he elected to abort the landing and come around for a second approach. He therefore added power and started to establish his initial climb, but then inadvertently allowed the aircraft to come in contact with a pine tree located just off the departure end of the runway. After contacting the tree, the aircraft spun around, dropped into another tree, and then slid to the ground. According to the pilot, there was no indication of any malfunction of the engine or flight controls.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree located off the departure end of his private airstrip during an aborted landing attempt. Factors include trees located near the departure end of the runway.