What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Times, headings, measurements and altitudes are approximate. Aircraft N585SK, mfg: micco aircraft, model # MAC-145B, took off from the Bozeman airport (kbzn), Montana, on July 3, 2016 for a practice flight to kvlm and back. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. No flight plan was filed.
The decision to land was made by the pilot based on his observation of a weather disturbance moving into the kbzn area, the sky was getting dark with clouds and wind coming in.
The initial ATIS weather was papa, but changed to quebec, with ATIS reporting a right crosswind of 6 KTS at 220. On final for runway 12, a strong right crosswind came up .5 to .25 miles from landing, the pilot dropped a wing to stay straight on course, and although he was initially having trouble staying on course, it was better closer to the ground, he suspected the wind had dropped. He did carry some side slip into landing.
After touchdown on the main gear with the tail still in the air, the wind gusted again from the right, and the aircraft weathervaned to the right over 45 degrees. To try and avoid departing the runway, the pilot initially applied additional left rudder, and when that did not have the desired effect, added the left brake to turn the aircraft back down the runway. The aircraft then turned hard left and based on the reported skid marks on the runway, rotated two and a half turns, coming to rest on the south edge of runway 12 with the left gear collapsed due to a failed drag strut, and the right gear drag strut bent, but not broken. The left gear door broke off and the right gear door was slightly bent. Engine did have a prop strike and sudden stoppage. Two prop blades were bent back and one was bent forward. Scrape marks on the propeller blades were in the direction of prop rotation indicative of the engine running at low power. The left wing tip fiberglass was worn through on the bottom side, just barely getting to the aluminum wing skin.
The pilot was not injured. Seat belt and dual shoulder harnesses were installed and used. The cockpit area did not have any crushing or folding. There was no damage to the fuselage, empennage, wing spars, or wing spar carry through structure. All flight controls and engine controls had continuity.
Non-aircraft damage was one runway light was broken off.
As the FAA filed it
TIMES, HEADINGS, MEASUREMENTS AND ALTITUDES ARE APPROXIMATE. AIRCRAFT N585SK, MFG: MICCO AIRCRAFT, MODEL # MAC-145B, TOOK OFF FROM THE BOZEMAN AIRPORT (KBZN), MONTANA, ON JULY 3, 2016 FOR A PRACTICE FLIGHT TO KVLM AND BACK. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
THE DECISION TO LAND WAS MADE BY THE PILOT BASED ON HIS OBSERVATION OF A WEATHER DISTURBANCE MOVING INTO THE KBZN AREA, THE SKY WAS GETTING DARK WITH CLOUDS AND WIND COMING IN.
THE INITIAL ATIS WEATHER WAS PAPA, BUT CHANGED TO QUEBEC, WITH ATIS REPORTING A RIGHT CROSSWIND OF 6 KTS AT 220. ON FINAL FOR RUNWAY 12, A STRONG RIGHT CROSSWIND CAME UP .5 TO .25 MILES FROM LANDING, THE PILOT DROPPED A WING TO STAY STRAIGHT ON COURSE, AND ALTHOUGH HE WAS INITIALLY HAVING TROUBLE STAYING ON COURSE, IT WAS BETTER CLOSER TO THE GROUND, HE SUSPECTED THE WIND HAD DROPPED. HE DID CARRY SOME SIDE SLIP INTO LANDING.
AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON THE MAIN GEAR WITH THE TAIL STILL IN THE AIR, THE WIND GUSTED AGAIN FROM THE RIGHT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WEATHERVANED TO THE RIGHT OVER 45 DEGREES. TO TRY AND AVOID DEPARTING THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT INITIALLY APPLIED ADDITIONAL LEFT RUDDER, AND WHEN THAT DID NOT HAVE THE DESIRED EFFECT, ADDED THE LEFT BRAKE TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT BACK DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED HARD LEFT AND BASED ON THE REPORTED SKID MARKS ON THE RUNWAY, ROTATED TWO AND A HALF TURNS, COMING TO REST ON THE SOUTH EDGE OF RUNWAY 12 WITH THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED DUE TO A FAILED DRAG STRUT, AND THE RIGHT GEAR DRAG STRUT BENT, BUT NOT BROKEN. THE LEFT GEAR DOOR BROKE OFF AND THE RIGHT GEAR DOOR WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. ENGINE DID HAVE A PROP STRIKE AND SUDDEN STOPPAGE. TWO PROP BLADES WERE BENT BACK AND ONE WAS BENT FORWARD. SCRAPE MARKS ON THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE IN THE DIRECTION OF PROP ROTATION INDICATIVE OF THE ENGINE RUNNING AT LOW POWER. THE LEFT WING TIP FIBERGLASS WAS WORN THROUGH ON THE BOTTOM SIDE, JUST BARELY GETTING TO THE ALUMINUM WING SKIN.
THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. SEAT BELT AND DUAL SHOULDER HARNESSES WERE INSTALLED AND USED. THE COCKPIT AREA DID NOT HAVE ANY CRUSHING OR FOLDING. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, EMPENNAGE, WING SPARS, OR WING SPAR CARRY THROUGH STRUCTURE. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS AND ENGINE CONTROLS HAD CONTINUITY.
NON-AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS ONE RUNWAY LIGHT WAS BROKEN OFF.