What happened
During an approach to the airfield, a Beech 200 attempted to land amidst weather conditions featuring wind gusts that exceeded the aircraft's maximum demonstrated crosswind capability. During this initial landing attempt, the aircraft experienced structural failure, leaving pieces of the landing gear strut on the runway surface, as noted by an observer on the ground.
Following this incident, the flight crew decided to abort the landing and proceeded back to the airport of origin. Upon returning to the airfield for a subsequent landing, the aircraft veered off the runway. This excursion resulted in damage to airport infrastructure and substantial damage to the Beech 200.
Findings
- The primary contributing factor was the presence of wind gusts exceeding the aircraft's certified crosswind limits.
- The initial landing attempt resulted in the loss of landing gear components on the runway.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage during the second landing attempt when it departed the runway surface.