What happened
The pilot was operating a personal flight returning to his home base after encountering turbulent air. Upon approaching the airport, he aligned with Runway 27 for landing. The initial touchdown was smooth; however, a sudden wind gust lifted the aircraft back into the air. This caused the airplane to bounce upon re-contact with the pavement. The subsequent impact was severe enough to damage the nose wheel assembly. Following this hard landing, the aircraft departed the paved surface to the left side and came to a stop in the adjacent grassy area.
The investigation
Investigation of the event focused on the weather conditions at the time of the incident. Meteorological data indicated winds from 240 degrees at 15 knots, with gusts reaching 19 knots. These conditions contributed to the instability during the final approach and landing phase. The pilot had accumulated 93 hours of total flight time but had not flown in the three to four weeks preceding the accident.
Findings
The primary factor was the wind gust which disrupted the landing flare. The resulting bounce led to a hard landing on the nose gear, causing loss of directional control. The pilot's lack of recent experience may have reduced his ability to manage the crosswind and gusty conditions effectively.