What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
AWOS reported winds 310 degrees at 8. Student pilot entered downwind for runway 01 at 3700 feet MSL. The pilot stated that he was abeam the numbers and made the standard changes to reconfigure the airplane for descending to land (carburetor heat out, power at 1700 RPM, airspeed at 80 mph, with 10 degrees of flaps).
Holding 80 mph, he set the flaps at 20 degrees while turning base for runway
01. After turning final, pilot realized he was still a little high, so he pulled back power to idle.
On final approach the pilot recalled everything was looking good, but added a little power back. He lined up and continued his descent.
Approximately 50 feet above the runway, the aircraft was hit with a sudden left quartering tailwind. The pilot attempted to correct for this while still holding centerline but, when the airplane reached the surface of the runway the left tire touched first and then the aircraft rolled left causing left wing tip to make contact with the runway surface. The pilot then could not hold the runway, the nose swung out of line with the runway, and the airplane rolled off of the runway and down an embankment.
Rolling down the hill, the airplane became momentarily airborne. Pilot applied power and pulled back on the yoke in an attempt to minimize the impact with the adjacent hill.
The aircraft rolled left and right causing the wing tips to contact the ground. This also caused the right horizontal stabilizer to make contact with the ground. Aircraft pitched forward prior to stopping causing the propeller to make contact with the ground surface. Propeller damage indicated low power setting. The airplane came to rest on the facing slope of the adjacent hill.
Inspection of the aircraft revealed the following damage:
Right wing tip damage
Left wing tip damage
Right horizontal stabilizer damage
Right side fuselage aft of the rear window dented
Propeller bent
Exhaust stacks broken/bent
As the FAA filed it
AWOS REPORTED WINDS 310 DEGREES AT 8. STUDENT PILOT ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 01 AT 3700 FEET MSL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ABEAM THE NUMBERS AND MADE THE STANDARD CHANGES TO RECONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR DESCENDING TO LAND (CARBURETOR HEAT OUT, POWER AT 1700 RPM, AIRSPEED AT 80 MPH, WITH 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS).
HOLDING 80 MPH, HE SET THE FLAPS AT 20 DEGREES WHILE TURNING BASE FOR RUNWAY
01. AFTER TURNING FINAL, PILOT REALIZED HE WAS STILL A LITTLE HIGH, SO HE PULLED BACK POWER TO IDLE.
ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT RECALLED EVERYTHING WAS LOOKING GOOD, BUT ADDED A LITTLE POWER BACK. HE LINED UP AND CONTINUED HIS DESCENT.
APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIT WITH A SUDDEN LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT FOR THIS WHILE STILL HOLDING CENTERLINE BUT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE REACHED THE SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY THE LEFT TIRE TOUCHED FIRST AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT CAUSING LEFT WING TIP TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PILOT THEN COULD NOT HOLD THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE SWUNG OUT OF LINE WITH THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE ROLLED OFF OF THE RUNWAY AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT.
ROLLING DOWN THE HILL, THE AIRPLANE BECAME MOMENTARILY AIRBORNE. PILOT APPLIED POWER AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE IN AN ATTEMPT TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT WITH THE ADJACENT HILL.
THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT AND RIGHT CAUSING THE WING TIPS TO CONTACT THE GROUND. THIS ALSO CAUSED THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD PRIOR TO STOPPING CAUSING THE PROPELLER TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND SURFACE. PROPELLER DAMAGE INDICATED LOW POWER SETTING. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE FACING SLOPE OF THE ADJACENT HILL.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE:
RIGHT WING TIP DAMAGE
LEFT WING TIP DAMAGE
RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER DAMAGE
RIGHT SIDE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE REAR WINDOW DENTED
PROPELLER BENT
EXHAUST STACKS BROKEN/BENT