Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during landing on Runway 36 at a private airport, the aircraft encountered a crosswind from 300 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The wind was blowing over tall trees located along the left side of the runway near the approach end. According to the pilot, this condition produced a downdraft and/or a loss of airspeed.
Damage
The aircraft subsequently landed hard, causing damage to the nose gear mounting, propeller, engine firewall, and cabin floor.
Findings
The pilot attributed the hard landing to the downdraft and/or loss of airspeed induced by the wind interacting with the trees. No other factors were reported.