Incident Overview
A pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings in crosswind conditions. During the first landing, the crosswind was 40 degrees at five knots. For the second landing, the tower advised that the wind had changed to a 60-degree crosswind at seven knots. As the pilot flared, he relaxed his cross-control input too much, causing the left wing to lift. The pilot elected to execute a go-around, but upon adding power, the aircraft began rotating left. He then attempted to place the aircraft back onto the runway, but the aircraft was not aligned with the runway upon touchdown, resulting in a rapid veer to the left.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft departed the side of the runway, and the tip of the right wing contacted the terrain. This contact caused substantial damage to the wing's internal structure. The pilot reported that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft and attributed the accident solely to his failure to adequately control the aircraft in the crosswind conditions.
Findings
The accident was not attributed to any mechanical failure. The pilot’s loss of control during the landing flare and subsequent go-around led to the runway excursion and wing strike.