What happened
During a local training session conducted at Lovely Banks Aerodrome, located northwest of Geelong in Victoria, an aircraft experienced a heavy impact during its final approach. While the crew was executing maneuvers, the pilot completed a level-off at an altitude higher than intended. As a result, the aircraft struck the ground primarily on its right main landing gear.
Although there were no injuries reported for the two occupants on board, the impact caused extensive damage to the airframe. Specifically, the right wing sustained severe structural compromise, leading the aircraft to be declared a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the incident revealed that the instructor was demonstrating landing procedures amidst turbulent crosswind conditions. Due to a lack of recent experience with this specific aircraft type, the pilot failed to maintain the correct altitude during the level-off phase. This error caused the right wing to drop, resulting in the plane hitting the surface heavily on a single wheel while still experiencing lateral drift. The force of the impact was sufficient to damage the main spar and cause the rearward displacement of the wing.