Glencoe Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Glencoe, Minnesota 55336
Friday, August 8, 1997 11:45 CDT

The pilot overflew Glencoe Airport to obtain wind direction, while monitoring the Litchfield and Hutchison, Minnesota, Aviation Weather Observation Stations for wind information. He entered right traffic for runway 13. He said that on his first attempt to land, he could not keep the airplane aligned on the runway, so he performed a go-around and climbed back to traffic pattern altitude. He said, 'I did an extended downwind to give me more time to align with the runway on final. I touched down slightly past the runway number markings. I then became airborne again and did not have enough wind correction. A heavy crosswind pushed me off the left side of the runway which was a grassy area with standing water.' As the pilot was trying to stop the airplane, the airplane's left wing struck a pine tree, turning the airplane 90-degrees from its heading. It then went into a small grove of pine trees and came to a stop. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. About 15 miles west-northwest at Hutchison, the 1135 cdt wind was reported to be from 170 degrees at 10 knots. About 30 miles northwest at Litchfield, the 1135 cdt wind was reported to be from 170 degrees at 6 gusting 14 knots.

failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve and subsequent collision with trees. Factors associated with the accident were: the crosswind, and proximity of trees.