Incident Overview
A pilot departed and subsequently returned to the same airport after encountering deteriorating weather conditions. During the landing approach, the pilot observed men and equipment near his intended touchdown point and momentarily halted his descent. He then continued the descent, reporting that the elevator control felt mushy. As he attempted to flare, the aircraft dropped 2–3 feet onto the runway, resulting in a hard landing.
The impact caused the lower strut of the right main landing gear to separate. The aircraft then settled onto the right side, veered off the runway, and continued down an embankment, which collapsed the remaining landing gear.
Witness Observation
A witness on the ground reported seeing the aircraft approximately 20–30 feet above the runway in a nose-high attitude, rolling left and right. The witness stated that he did not see the moment of touchdown.
Sequence of Events
The pilot initially departed but chose to return due to worsening weather. Upon approaching the runway, he noticed workers and equipment near the touchdown zone and briefly arrested his descent. After resuming the descent, he noted unusual mushiness in the elevator control. The subsequent flaring attempt failed to arrest the sink rate, and the aircraft contacted the runway hard, causing structural failure of the right main landing gear. The aircraft then swung right, left the runway surface, and went down a slope, destroying the remaining landing gear assembly.