What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 09/17/2020 at 2127 local time, N897A, H25B/L, was inbound on GPS RWY17 approach landing at ilm. After the aircraft passed the runway threshold and was beginning its flare, a wind gust hit the aircraft on the right side and pushed the aircraft off the left side of the runway. At that same moment the aircraft passed through a sheet of rain that caused the pilots to lose visibility for a couple seconds. N897A landed in the grass approximately 4,000 feet from the approach end of rwy 17.
The Wilmington (ilm) terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) for the time frame of landing indicated that there was a possibility of inclement weather in the area. The pilot stated that they had been receiving continuous inflight updates on the weather and were not getting any indication that the weather was going to be an issue. They were also watching a weather cell that was off the coast but had not seen it move or grow. The pilot requested alternate missed instructions so that in the event they did go missed they would not end up flying towards that cell. The pilot stated that another aircraft had landed just ahead of them and had provided a PIREP that did not indicate there were any weather concerns for the approach. The weather provided by ATC did not include any wind gusts or wind shear alerts. Because of this the pilot continued on the approach. As they passed the threshold and reduced power for the flare, at the 50 foot announcement, a possible microburst occurred on the field. The aircraft passed through a sheet of rain that reduced visibility to zero for a few seconds. The aircraft was also hit with a gust of wind that pushed it to the left. Because of how close the aircraft was to the ground at this time the pilot decided it would be better to maintain pitch attitude and continue landing rather than execute a go around. When visibility retuned the pilot realized the aircraft had been pushed to the left of the runway and was parallel to the runway over the grass, which is were the aircraft landed. As the aircraft came to a stop in the grass it hit a runway sign which caused damage to the wings. The aircraft never touched the runway surface. On sept 18 the national weather service documented that an EF0 tornado event had occurred between 2128-2129 local time and approximately 2.5 miles south south east of the runway.
As the FAA filed it
ON 09/17/2020 AT 2127 LOCAL TIME, N897A, H25B/L, WAS INBOUND ON GPS RWY17 APPROACH LANDING AT ILM. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND WAS BEGINNING ITS FLARE, A WIND GUST HIT THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AT THAT SAME MOMENT THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THROUGH A SHEET OF RAIN THAT CAUSED THE PILOTS TO LOSE VISIBILITY FOR A COUPLE SECONDS. N897A LANDED IN THE GRASS APPROXIMATELY 4,000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RWY 17.
THE WILMINGTON (ILM) TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST (TAF) FOR THE TIME FRAME OF LANDING INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF INCLEMENT WEATHER IN THE AREA. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY HAD BEEN RECEIVING CONTINUOUS INFLIGHT UPDATES ON THE WEATHER AND WERE NOT GETTING ANY INDICATION THAT THE WEATHER WAS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE. THEY WERE ALSO WATCHING A WEATHER CELL THAT WAS OFF THE COAST BUT HAD NOT SEEN IT MOVE OR GROW. THE PILOT REQUESTED ALTERNATE MISSED INSTRUCTIONS SO THAT IN THE EVENT THEY DID GO MISSED THEY WOULD NOT END UP FLYING TOWARDS THAT CELL. THE PILOT STATED THAT ANOTHER AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED JUST AHEAD OF THEM AND HAD PROVIDED A PIREP THAT DID NOT INDICATE THERE WERE ANY WEATHER CONCERNS FOR THE APPROACH. THE WEATHER PROVIDED BY ATC DID NOT INCLUDE ANY WIND GUSTS OR WIND SHEAR ALERTS. BECAUSE OF THIS THE PILOT CONTINUED ON THE APPROACH. AS THEY PASSED THE THRESHOLD AND REDUCED POWER FOR THE FLARE, AT THE 50 FOOT ANNOUNCEMENT, A POSSIBLE MICROBURST OCCURRED ON THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THROUGH A SHEET OF RAIN THAT REDUCED VISIBILITY TO ZERO FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALSO HIT WITH A GUST OF WIND THAT PUSHED IT TO THE LEFT. BECAUSE OF HOW CLOSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO THE GROUND AT THIS TIME THE PILOT DECIDED IT WOULD BE BETTER TO MAINTAIN PITCH ATTITUDE AND CONTINUE LANDING RATHER THAN EXECUTE A GO AROUND. WHEN VISIBILITY RETUNED THE PILOT REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN PUSHED TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY OVER THE GRASS, WHICH IS WERE THE AIRCRAFT LANDED. AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP IN THE GRASS IT HIT A RUNWAY SIGN WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WINGS. THE AIRCRAFT NEVER TOUCHED THE RUNWAY SURFACE. ON SEPT 18 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOCUMENTED THAT AN EF0 TORNADO EVENT HAD OCCURRED BETWEEN 2128-2129 LOCAL TIME AND APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES SOUTH SOUTH EAST OF THE RUNWAY.