What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot initiated an approach to runway 18 with the right wing low and landed on the right main gear. After the right tire touched down, the right wing came up and the aircraft veered to the left. The aircraft ran off the left side of the runway and struck a row of very large rocks that were alongside the runway. The main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft slid into a 8-foot rocky drop-off. The pilot stated that he did not have enough airspeed to attempt a go-around so he opted to allow the aircraft to run off the runway. The tower advised the pilot that surface winds were from 230 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25. The pilot operating handbook for the aircraft states the maximum demonstrated crosswind component is 17 knots. Considering that limitation, the maximum allowable component for a 50-degree crosswind was computed to be 19.15 knots.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT INITIATED AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 18 WITH THE RIGHT WING LOW AND LANDED ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. AFTER THE RIGHT TIRE TOUCHED DOWN, THE RIGHT WING CAME UP AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A ROW OF VERY LARGE ROCKS THAT WERE ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO A 8-FOOT ROCKY DROP-OFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPEED TO ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND SO HE OPTED TO ALLOW THE AIRCRAFT TO RUN OFF THE RUNWAY. THE TOWER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT SURFACE WINDS WERE FROM 230 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 25. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE AIRCRAFT STATES THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND COMPONENT IS 17 KNOTS. CONSIDERING THAT LIMITATION, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE COMPONENT FOR A 50-DEGREE CROSSWIND WAS COMPUTED TO BE 19.15 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.