What happened
The accident occurred during a training flight involving multiple touch-and-go operations. The pilot was executing the fourth such landing on runway 26 when the aircraft encountered a southerly wind gust during the flare phase. This sudden change in wind conditions caused the right wing tip to contact the ground. Following the impact, the airplane veered off the paved surface and came to rest on adjacent level dirt terrain. The final resting position was characterized by a nose-down attitude.
The investigation
A review of the mechanical condition of the aircraft revealed no malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot confirmed that the airplane functioned normally up until the moment of the wind encounter. Additionally, meteorological data indicated that the airport winds were calm both minutes before and after the accident time, suggesting the gust was a localized or transient event not captured by standard reporting intervals.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the incident was the encounter with a southerly wind gust during the critical flare phase of landing. This aerodynamic disturbance resulted in an asymmetric lift condition that allowed the right wing tip to strike the ground, leading to the loss of directional control and subsequent departure from the runway environment.