What happened
During an approach to the destination airport, the pilot encountered a significant crosswind, with gusts reaching approximately 24 knots. Despite the aircraft's specified crosswind limitation for landing being 20 knots, the pilot proceeded with the landing on the assigned runway. As the aircraft crossed the runway threshold, it was traveling at least 14 knots faster than the recommended landing reference speed and touched down approximately 2,000 feet from the threshold.
Upon touchdown, the pilot utilized aileron controls to manage the crosswind and attempted to apply the brakes. However, the pilot noted a lack of braking response. During the landing roll, the aircraft drifted to the left and exited the paved surface, coming to a stop upright in the grass area beside the runway. The incident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, specifically the separation of the outboard section of the right wing.
Findings
Investigation of the weight-on-wheels (WOW) parameters showed that while the aircraft initially made contact with the ground, the left WOW parameter transitioned back to an air state approximately two seconds later. The right WOW parameter remained in the ground state until the aircraft left the pavement. This transient state, combined with the high approach speed and extended touchdown, suggests the aircraft was floating during the landing flare.
Data from the Central Maintenance Function (CMF) showed no system anomalies between takeoff and touchdown, though several anomalies were recorded following the excursion due to the impact. It was determined that the brake system touchdown protection likely prevented effective braking. This safety feature is designed to inhibit brake application until wheel spin-up occurs and requires a stable weight-on-wheels status for three seconds before power braking is enabled. Because the left wheel briefly lost ground contact, the system likely inhibited the brakes. Additionally, the aircraft lacked wing-mounted speed brakes that could have helped maintain ground contact during the landing.