What happened
During a positioning flight, a two-person crew attempted to land at their destination airport. The flight crew consisted of a pilot-in-command seated in the right seat and a second-in-command acting as the pilot flying from the left seat. The landing attempt took place on a runway covered in snow.
As the aircraft descended toward the airport, the pilot in the right seat identified the runway. After determining that the aircraft was too high for a direct approach, the pilot in the right seat advised the pilot flying to perform a circling maneuver to lose altitude. During this maneuver, the aircraft exceeded the speed limits permitted for its approach category. The crew executed a 360-degree turn to align the aircraft with the runway centerline. While the pilot in the right seat could see the runway, the pilot flying relied on verbal guidance from the other crew member.
Both pilots believed the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway center. However, during the flare phase of the landing, the pilot flying encountered a sudden wind gust from the left side that necessitated a flight correction. Consequently, the aircraft landed approximately 20 feet to the right of the runway edge. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and the wing of the aircraft.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating at speeds exceeding the established approach category limits during the circling maneuver.
- A sudden wind gust from the left during the flare phase contributed to the lateral deviation from the runway centerline.