Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusting wind conditions while landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot stated that he entered the traffic pattern at the destination airport and conducted a “stabilized” approach until just prior to touchdown, when the airplane experienced “mechanical turbulence which destabilized the approach.” The pilot initiated a go-around when a wind gust “lifted the right wing.” The airplane departed the left side of the runway and struck trees 100 ft left of the landing surface. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.