What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday may 2, 2026, a Tecnam P2010 tdi flew into Leesburg International Airport ahead of a front that was approaching from the N0RTHWEST. The pilot originally planned to fly the RNAV approach to runway 31, but because the prevailing winds were out of the southeast, the pilot was directed to circle to runway 22. The pilot said there was significant turbulence on the approach and, just before touching down, a gust pushed the plane up and to the side. When the pilot attempted to straighten the aircraft back out, the nose wheel came down hard and the plane settled on the runway. A few seconds later, the pilot noted some scraping during taxi and
Speculated that the wheel pant may have come loose, but then the front wheel strut collapsed. The propeller was spinning at slow speed at the time, and the propeller tips struck the runway. The pilot was the only person in the aircraft and there were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY MAY 2, 2026, A TECNAM P2010 TDI FLEW INTO LEESBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AHEAD OF A FRONT THAT WAS APPROACHING FROM THE N0RTHWEST. THE PILOT ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO FLY THE RNAV APPROACH TO RUNWAY 31, BUT BECAUSE THE PREVAILING WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST, THE PILOT WAS DIRECTED TO CIRCLE TO RUNWAY 22. THE PILOT SAID THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT TURBULENCE ON THE APPROACH AND, JUST BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN, A GUST PUSHED THE PLANE UP AND TO THE SIDE. WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO STRAIGHTEN THE AIRCRAFT BACK OUT, THE NOSE WHEEL CAME DOWN HARD AND THE PLANE SETTLED ON THE RUNWAY. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE PILOT NOTED SOME SCRAPING DURING TAXI AND
SPECULATED THAT THE WHEEL PANT MAY HAVE COME LOOSE, BUT THEN THE FRONT WHEEL STRUT COLLAPSED. THE PROPELLER WAS SPINNING AT SLOW SPEED AT THE TIME, AND THE PROPELLER TIPS STRUCK THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE AIRCRAFT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.