Summary
A pilot stated to fire personnel that as he approached touchdown on his private airstrip, the sun got in his eyes and a crosswind pushed him off the right side of the runway. The aircraft landed hard on the right wheel, veered off the right side, cartwheeled down the side of a hill, and caught fire after coming to rest. The airstrip, located on a ridge, has 30-degree slopes at the edges of the runway.
Weather and Sun Conditions
At the time of the accident, the sun was calculated to be 5 degrees above the horizon and approximately 21 degrees to the right of the pilot's center vision reference point. Fire department personnel reported winds from about 45 degrees left of the runway heading at approximately 17 knots, with peak gusts of 30 knots. The factory flight tested maximum demonstrated crosswind capability of the aircraft is 13 knots. The private airstrip has no wind direction or speed indicators on the facility.