Incident Overview
An aircraft was substantially damaged during a hard landing at a destination airport. The pilot reported encountering light to moderate turbulence during the descent. According to the pilot, just before touchdown, a gust of wind caused a sudden jerk, accompanied by an immediate loss of airspeed and lift. The pilot applied full engine power, but the aircraft impacted the runway hard, resulting in damage.
Weather Conditions
The pilot reported that the winds at the accident airport were from 270 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 30 knots. The nearest weather reporting station, located about 7 nautical miles east of the accident airport, recorded wind from 270 degrees at 9 knots with gusts to 14 knots. The weather report indicated that the wind direction was variable between 250 and 310 degrees. The landing was conducted on Runway 32.
Aircraft Damage
The hard landing caused substantial damage to the aircraft. No further details on the specific damage were provided.
Pilot Report
The pilot's account described the sudden wind gust and the subsequent loss of airspeed and lift, leading to the hard landing despite the application of full engine power.