What happened
The pilot was operating an aircraft during a landing phase on runway 31 under crosswind conditions. Acknowledging the wind, the pilot elected to use only 10 degrees of flaps for the approach. As the aircraft approached the runway, it began to drift laterally. The pilot maintained an airspeed of approximately 80 knots during the final approach segment.
Upon initiating the flare, the aircraft touched down hard on the right main landing gear and subsequently bounced. The crosswind continued to push the aircraft to the left, causing it to leave the paved surface of the runway. The aircraft then impacted the ground hard on the left landing gear, which resulted in the nose section overturning.
The investigation
The pilot provided a statement regarding the operational decisions made during the approach and landing. The pilot confirmed awareness of the crosswind component and the decision to reduce flap extension to 10 degrees. The narrative describes the physical sequence of events including the drift, the hard touchdown on the right main gear, the bounce, and the subsequent departure from the runway environment due to wind forces.
Findings
The accident was caused by the aircraft departing the runway during landing. Contributing factors included the crosswind conditions and the pilot's decision-making regarding flap configuration. The hard bounce and subsequent lateral drift led to a nose-over attitude upon leaving the runway surface.