Incident Overview
The pilot of a light sport airplane reported an incident to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator. The pilot had departed with the intention of flying the traffic pattern to maintain flying currency. After a few minutes of flight, the pilot approached runway 23 and attempted to land.
Weather Conditions
The pilot stated that the wind was from a northerly direction at 7-10 knots and was gusty.
Sequence of Events
In order to maintain runway alignment, the pilot entered a sideslip. As the airplane crossed the threshold, it suddenly lost lift. The airplane then descended until impacting the runway, bounced, and nosed over. The airplane came to rest in an inverted attitude adjacent to the south side of the runway, approximately 350 feet upwind of the runway's landing threshold.
Damage and Mechanical Status
The airplane's rudder and wing lift struts were bent. During interviews with the Safety Board investigator, the pilot indicated that no mechanical malfunctions were experienced with the airplane, and its engine operated normally throughout the flight. The pilot also reported that he was flying his airplane as a light sport airplane and that no aviation medical certificate was required.