What happened
The pilot was conducting an instrument or visual approach for landing on runway 27 at the destination airport. During the final phase of the approach, the control tower provided weather updates indicating significant wind variability, specifically reporting gusts of 18 mph from 270 degrees. As the aircraft touched down on the runway, it rolled for several yards before lifting off again in a phenomenon described as ballooning.
Upon coming back down, the force of the impact caused the windshield to fracture and break. The airplane bounced a second time before finally settling onto the runway surface and rolling out to a stop. A subsequent post-accident inspection conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed that the Piper PA-34-200T had sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the aircraft following the incident. The examination focused on the extent of the physical damage resulting from the hard landings and the windshield failure during the rollout phase.