What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated his approach for landing runway 27 was normal with a flare on the centerline. Just at touch down the right wing suddenly lifted and aircraft swerved left into the dirt at the edge of the runway. The pilot said it felt like a strong gust, but in hind sight he believes it to have been a dust devil. The pilot added full power and initiated a go-around. The pilot was seated in the rear seat position and was unable to see an approaching lighted taxiway direction sign. The aircraft hit the sign which became lodged in the landing gear for the remainder of the flight. Subsequent to impact, the pilot checked controls, airspeed and confirmed a positive rate of climb. The pilot suspected he had damaged the landing gear and chose to stay close to the airport, turn around and land on the reciprocal runway. The pilot returned for landing on runway 09 without further incident.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED HIS APPROACH FOR LANDING RUNWAY 27 WAS NORMAL WITH A FLARE ON THE CENTERLINE. JUST AT TOUCH DOWN THE RIGHT WING SUDDENLY LIFTED AND AIRCRAFT SWERVED LEFT INTO THE DIRT AT THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID IT FELT LIKE A STRONG GUST, BUT IN HIND SIGHT HE BELIEVES IT TO HAVE BEEN A DUST DEVIL. THE PILOT ADDED FULL POWER AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT WAS SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT POSITION AND WAS UNABLE TO SEE AN APPROACHING LIGHTED TAXIWAY DIRECTION SIGN. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE SIGN WHICH BECAME LODGED IN THE LANDING GEAR FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT. SUBSEQUENT TO IMPACT, THE PILOT CHECKED CONTROLS, AIRSPEED AND CONFIRMED A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB. THE PILOT SUSPECTED HE HAD DAMAGED THE LANDING GEAR AND CHOSE TO STAY CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT, TURN AROUND AND LAND ON THE RECIPROCAL RUNWAY. THE PILOT RETURNED FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 09 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.