Incident Overview
A pilot was performing a landing on runway 19, a 5,000-foot-long, 75-foot-wide asphalt runway. During the landing, the airplane encountered a sudden gust of wind. The airplane veered 90 degrees to the right, struck a runway light located about 2,000 feet from the approach end of the runway, and then contacted a chain-link fence. The airplane came to rest in a wooded area. Both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Pilot Experience
The pilot reported a total flight experience of 631 hours, which included 30 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He had flown 2 hours during the 30 days preceding the accident. He stated that he did not experience any mechanical problems during the flight.
Wind Conditions
At an airport located about 25 miles north of the accident site, around the time of the accident, winds were reported as variable at 3 knots. The pilot estimated that the winds at the time of the accident were from 200 degrees at 5 knots, gusting to 20 knots.