Flight Summary
A pilot conducted a round-robin cross-country flight to practice touch-and-go landings at nearby airports. During the flight, the pilot faced challenging wind conditions.
Accident Sequence
At one airport, the pilot aborted a landing due to what he described as "moderate to severe turbulence on final." Approaching the destination airport, the pilot aborted the first approach because of strong winds and turbulence and executed a go-around. On the second approach, the airplane lost approximately 200 feet of altitude after encountering a downdraft. The pilot responded by applying full throttle to regain airspeed. Subsequently, a wind gust lifted the airplane's right wing, prompting the pilot to apply full right aileron. The left wing, left main landing gear, and nose landing gear then contacted the terrain. The airplane skidded for an estimated 100 to 150 feet, resulting in substantial damage to the wing.
Post-Accident Findings
After the accident, the pilot became aware of remarks in the airport/facility directory regarding turbulence associated with the selected runway. The pilot also reported that the airplane had no mechanical malfunctions during the accident flight.