Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in a gusting crosswind.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that he had just purchased the airplane and the accident flight was his first flight in it. While performing a touch-and-go-landing with a left gusting crosswind, the airplane veered right, departed the runway, and struck a runway light. The left main landing gear separated, and the airplane came to rest in the grass next to the taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and lower wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. At the time of the accident, the airplane was landing on runway 18 with wind variable at 12 knots with gusts to 21 knots. The pilot reported that he did not look at the windsock before the landing.