Airplane Sustains Fuselage Damage During Crosswind Landing

Incident Details

The pilot of the airplane reported that during the landing sequence, the aircraft encountered a crosswind, causing it to become airborne again after initial touchdown. Subsequently, the airplane touched back down onto the runway surface and veered to the right, departing the paved area and entering the grass adjacent to the runway. The pilot was able to maneuver the airplane back onto the runway and taxied to the parking area without any further reported issues.

Damage Assessment

According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The damage pattern was consistent with a hard landing event. Additionally, the inspector noted evidence of a tail strike on the bottom side of the tail, specifically underneath the vertical stabilizer. This finding further supported the assessment of a hard landing.