January 03, Redlands, Calif. / Cessna 172

At about 1200 Pacific time, a Cessna 172F struck a light post while attempting to go around at Redlands Municipal Airport. The pilot was not injured. The pilot departed Riverside and was planning to land on runway 26 at Redlands. He received weather information from the Unicom operator, who reported winds at 15 knots with gusts to 27 knots, windshear and a strong crosswind. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a gust of wind the pilot estimated in excess of 30 knots. The airplane veered off the runway into the adjacent gravel area. The pilot applied full power to go around but the left wing collided with a light post, damaging the aileron. The pilot then elected to return to Riverside, where the winds were lighter.