Incident Summary
According to the accident investigation, a student pilot with 58 total flight hours was conducting a landing attempt. The pilot initially overflew the runway before proceeding to land. The pilot reported checking the automated weather reporting station for the airport prior to landing.
Weather Conditions
The automated station indicated sustained winds between 27 and 35 knots, with gusts ranging from 40 to 45 knots. The pilot elected to land on runway 02, which is a 5,000-foot by 75-foot asphalt runway. The pilot performed the landing with 0 degrees of flaps.
Landing and Damage
During the flare, the pilot stated that a gust of wind lifted the right side of the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane dropped to the runway. Post-landing examination of the aircraft revealed that the fuselage, just aft of the engine mount attachment point, was buckled. No further damage details were provided in the source.