Incident Overview
A pilot on a local flight decided to return to his originating airport after air traffic control advised him of an inbound thunderstorm. He obtained an instrument flight rules clearance and proceeded toward the airport, which lay in the direction of the storm.
Landing Attempt and Wind Shear
During the first landing attempt on runway 30, the pilot encountered strong wind gusts and what he described as "extreme precipitation." Despite these conditions, he elected to continue the approach. About 30 feet above the runway, a "strong windshear" forced the airplane onto the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The airplane subsequently lifted off again, and the pilot initiated a go-around.
Multiple Go-Arounds and Final Landing
After the first attempt, the pilot circled the runway and aborted three more landing attempts before successfully landing the airplane. He reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation.
Weather Information
The pilot stated that he had obtained some weather information prior to departure but was not aware of the thunderstorm. A review of weather radar revealed strong winds and heavy precipitation over the originating airport at the time of the incident. Winds reported at the accident site approximately 10 minutes after the event were from 320 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 27 knots. Area forecasts for convective activity and Convective SIGMETs had been issued for the pilot's route of flight about one hour and thirty minutes before departure.