What happened
The pilot departed Waukegan, Illinois, after receiving a weather briefing for the destination in Woodruff, Wisconsin. Forecasts indicated Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions, with only light rain and scattered thunderstorms expected. While en route, the pilot monitored the weather and spoke with another pilot who had recently flown the same route; the destination airport remained VFR as predicted.
As the aircraft approached the destination, it entered clouds and proceeded into an area of thunderstorms. The pilot reported that the onboard radar showed heavy cells over the airport and in all directions, prompting a decision to divert. Shortly after reversing course, the aircraft encountered a strong downdraft. The pilot added power and raised the nose, later reporting that the aircraft was "pulled up into a stall." This maneuver caused the aircraft to enter a near-vertical dive.
During the recovery phase, the left wing struck a tree, but the aircraft remained airborne. Once clear of the clouds, the pilot returned to the original destination and landed. During the landing roll, the left gear was "shuttering," causing the aircraft to skid off the runway. The left gear failed upon exiting the paved surface.
Findings
The incident involved a loss of control due to weather conditions. Key factors included:
- Encounter with a strong downdraft within thunderstorms
- Induced stall during recovery from the dive
- Structural damage to the landing gear during the off-runway excursion