A last minute crosswind gust helped me to break a strut . I’m so glad Jeff was there to give his perspective of the incident. The video is short with two cam views and more importantly an eyewitness who has a good understanding of aviation.
https://youtu.be/CXH6cmv4qE0?is=hkbu7zt7xAIBIkew
This was a perfectly lovely flight with the ugliest landing I’ve had in more than 20 years. After a buttery 50 minute flight, I decided to come in on a long final from the North. The winds had been consistently 7kts from the SouthEast and I assumed it would be the same at the surface. WRONG! They were more ESE and likely making rotor off the Mangrove hedge .
So… instead of a slight crosswind , it was an acute crosswind and gusting. It started getting bumpy around 150 feet. I was actively flying to keep over the runway and should have gone around. The windsock would have told the story and I would have come in from the West , landing right by the truck. Easy Peasy.
Instead I got socked by a gust and used up all my flare authority too soon. I came down hard, bounced once breaking the strut and skidded to a stop. No injuries and minor damage to the rig. Lesson learned … I hope
