NTSB Factual Report

The airplane was substantially damaged during a hard landing. The pilot reported experiencing light to moderate turbulence during his descent to the destination airport. He reported that, "immediately prior to touchdown there was a gust of wind jerking us in our seats. There was an immediate loss of airspeed and lift." The pilot reported that he applied full engine power, but the airplane impacted the runway hard resulting in the damage to the aircraft. The pilot reported that the winds at the accident airport were from 270 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 30 knots. The nearest weather reporting station located about 7 nautical miles east of the accident airport recorded the wind from 270 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 14 knots. The weather report indicated that the wind direction was variable from 250 to 310 degrees. Runway 32 was used for the landing.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions which resulted in the hard landing. The gusting crosswind was a factor.