What happened
On May 30, 2016, a Piper PA-18-150, registration N41553, was performing a landing on runway 32 in Laurel, Montana. During the touchdown phase, a gust of wind lifted the right wing of the aircraft, causing it to drift toward the left side of the runway. In an attempt to correct the movement, the pilot applied excessive right rudder, which resulted in the aircraft exiting the right side of the runway. The impact caused the left main landing gear to collapse and led to substantial damage to both wings. The pilot sustained one minor injury and was the sole occupant of the aircraft.
The investigation
The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies present in the aircraft that would have interfered with normal flight operations. Weather conditions at the time of the accident, reported from a station 11 miles northeast, were VMC with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 070 degrees at 5 knots.