What happened
During the landing phase, the pilot was cleared to land on a vacant runway. While the aircraft was on short final, the control tower issued takeoff clearance to a McDonnell Douglas MD-80. Although the pilot considered performing a go-around, the decision was made to continue the approach due to the number of following aircraft.
The pilot intended to touch down before the departing jet reached rotation speed. However, the aircraft encountered turbulence generated by the engines of the departing aircraft. This turbulence caused the plane to pitch up and lose airspeed rapidly, resulting in a hard landing on the main landing gear. The aircraft then bounced once, and after a second bounce, the pilot applied full power. A third impact with the runway occurred, which caused the nose gear to collapse, leading the aircraft to skid to a stop on the runway.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft revealed that the upper skin of the right wing was wrinkled.