Narrative:

I was landing at night at tri county airport. About 3/4 of the way down a 4700 ft runway, I decided to execute a go around. I initially came in for landing too fast, which is why I decided to go around. Density altitude was about 8000 ft. The gross weight was 2260 pounds and maximum weight is 2300 pounds for the C172. When I retracted flaps for go around (the flap switch is not notched), the flaps went to 0 degrees and I lost altitude/lift. I saw I was not going to clear an obstacle 1500 ft away, so I landed the plane on a grass field past the end of the runway. No damage was done to the aircraft and no one was hurt. The obstacle was power lines that are along a road. It was also my second landing at 48V and only my third landing at high altitudes, so I was not used to the lack of lift.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT LNDG LONG AT A HIGH ALT ARPT, DECIDED TO GAR, THEN ABORTED THE GAR LNDG STRAIGHT AHEAD OFF THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS LNDG AT NIGHT AT TRI COUNTY ARPT. ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN A 4700 FT RWY, I DECIDED TO EXECUTE A GAR. I INITIALLY CAME IN FOR LNDG TOO FAST, WHICH IS WHY I DECIDED TO GO AROUND. DENSITY ALT WAS ABOUT 8000 FT. THE GROSS WT WAS 2260 LBS AND MAX WT IS 2300 LBS FOR THE C172. WHEN I RETRACTED FLAPS FOR GAR (THE FLAP SWITCH IS NOT NOTCHED), THE FLAPS WENT TO 0 DEGS AND I LOST ALT/LIFT. I SAW I WAS NOT GOING TO CLR AN OBSTACLE 1500 FT AWAY, SO I LANDED THE PLANE ON A GRASS FIELD PAST THE END OF THE RWY. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT AND NO ONE WAS HURT. THE OBSTACLE WAS PWR LINES THAT ARE ALONG A ROAD. IT WAS ALSO MY SECOND LNDG AT 48V AND ONLY MY THIRD LNDG AT HIGH ALTS, SO I WAS NOT USED TO THE LACK OF LIFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.