What happened
A corporate flight carrying a crew of three and six passengers was conducting a visual approach to a private airstrip. After reaching flight level 280, the crew reviewed local weather data to plan a visual approach to the runway. As the aircraft approached the destination, the pilot initiated a left downwind traffic pattern to inspect the runway for animals and to check the windsock. During this maneuver, the pilot noted turbulence and wind gusts originating from the hills to the west.
While flying approximately 50 feet above the ground, the pilot reduced engine power to idle. At this moment, the aircraft encountered wind shear, causing a rapid loss of airspeed and forcing the plane toward the runway. An observer at the airstrip noted that the aircraft made a hard impact upon landing. Following the impact, the pilot attempted to use the thrust reversers, brakes, and ground spoilers. During the deployment of the thrust reversers, the right main landing gear appeared to collapse.
Despite the pilot's attempts to steer the aircraft using the rudder, ailerons, and the tiller, the plane veered to the right and exited the runway into the grass. The incident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, specifically a break in the right main landing gear which caused it to collapse under the wing.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the aircraft found no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation prior to the impact. Environmental data indicated surface winds from the north-northwest at 15 knots, with gusts reaching 20 knots. While there were no direct observations of wind shear, the area forecast noted potential for turbulence and wind shear below 5,000 feet. Data from the onboard EGPWS confirmed that the crew received a terrain alert just before crossing the runway threshold, at which point the aircraft was descending at 1,391 feet per minute.