What happened
During a straight-in approach to the airport, the flight was operating with two occupants: a pilot with a commercial and flight instructor certificate in the right front seat, and a private pilot with 246 flight hours in the left seat. The flight was being conducted under the direction of the owner.
Prior to landing, air traffic control issued three separate advisories regarding variable right crosswinds ranging from 200 to 220 degrees at speeds between 8 and 14 knots, noting higher gust components. Additionally, the tower reported light to moderate turbulence extending down to the surface.
As the aircraft type touched down on runway 18, a sudden gust of crosswind caused the right wing to lift. The pilot in the left seat failed to provide corrective input, and the owner in the right seat was unable to override the control movements in time to stabilize the aircraft. Consequently, the left wingtip made contact with the ground, causing the aircraft to cartwheel off the left side of the runway and strike an airport perimeter fence. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries reported in the incident.
Findings
- The aircraft was being operated by a pilot with no prior experience in high-performance turbine-powered aircraft.
- A failure to correct for a sudden crosswind gust during the landing phase led to the loss of directional control and the subsequent excursion.