Incident Overview
The flight crew of a business jet reported that after touching down on the runway centerline, the airplane was struck by a gust of wind from the right. The pilots managed to keep the aircraft on the centerline but were subsequently hit by a more powerful gust, which pushed the airplane off the left side of the runway. The runway excursion caused substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing.
Weather Conditions
A post-accident review of weather radar data indicated that a severe thunderstorm, for which a tornado warning had been issued, was present to the west of the airport and was rapidly moving east. Additionally, a convective SIGMET was valid for the airport at the time of the accident.
Pilot Actions and Aircraft Status
The pilot-in-command reported checking relevant weather information before the flight. The aircraft was equipped with an operational onboard weather radar system. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be the pilots’ loss of directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion. Also contributing was the flight crew’s decision to land at an airport where there was a rapidly approaching severe thunderstorm.