What happened
During a local flight operation, the pilot observed clouds that resembled smoke approaching the airport from the west. Concerned about potentially losing visibility, he decided to land immediately. While approaching runway 18 with a crosswind from 270 degrees, the pilot had to apply a crab angle to the right to maintain alignment.
As the aircraft flared for landing, it encountered a gust of wind. The pilot reported straightening the nose using left rudder and a right bank. However, the right wing contacted the ground during this maneuver. The aircraft subsequently went out of control and crashed.
Findings
The wind was reported to be from 270 degrees at 16 knots. According to the manufacturer, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for this specific aircraft type is 15 mph (approximately 13 knots). The incident occurred in conditions that exceeded this demonstrated limit.