What happened
The incident occurred during the final phase of flight as the pilot was initiating the landing flare. According to the pilot's statement, the aircraft encountered a sudden wind gust at this critical moment. The gust pushed the aircraft to the right side of the runway centerline. The pilot did not place the flight controls to correct for this deviation. Consequently, the aircraft touched down and ran off the right side of the runway. It then collided with a pond and nosed over, coming to rest inverted in the water.
The investigation
The primary evidence regarding the sequence of events comes from the pilot's statement. No mechanical examination findings were provided in the source text. The investigation focused on the pilot's reaction to the environmental conditions during the landing flare.
Findings
The aircraft was blown to the right by a wind gust just as the pilot initiated the landing flare. The pilot did not place the flight controls to correct for this drift. The aircraft touched down and ran off the right side of the runway. The aircraft then collided with a pond and nosed over coming to rest inverted in the pond.
Safety message
Pilots must be prepared to apply immediate and appropriate control inputs when encountering wind gusts during the landing flare to maintain runway alignment.