Incident Details
A pilot who departed on a local flight reported that he checked a weather radar display before departure and saw no adverse weather. Approximately 35 minutes after takeoff, he returned to the airport. While on final approach to land, the pilot observed rain along the runway but decided to continue the approach. During the landing attempt, the airplane encountered a sudden, strong wind gust and lost forward motion, as indicated by a decrease in ground speed. Believing the airplane would not reach the runway, the pilot opted to land short. After touchdown, another strong gust of wind lifted the airplane and turned it onto its left wing tip.
Weather Conditions
Weather reported near the time of the accident included scattered clouds at 600 feet, broken clouds at 5,000 feet, visibility of 1-3/4 miles, and thunderstorms with showers. The wind was from 080 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 56 knots.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated that he did not observe adverse weather on the radar display before departure. He noted that while on final approach, rain was moving down the runway, but he continued the approach. He described the wind gust as sudden and strong, causing a loss of forward motion, after which he decided to land short of the runway. After landing, a subsequent gust caused the airplane to be lifted and rotated onto its left wing tip.