Narrative:

I descended to approximately 2000 ft where air was smoother and westerly winds were lighter; but was faced with the prospect of crossing rising terrain; which would require ascending to 4500 ft MSL to safely fly over approaching hills. Therefore; I decided to land to talk with any local pilots about the wind condition and also to use the restroom. There was no traffic and the windsock on the runway 27 end of the single runway; 9/27; indicated about 260 degrees less than 10 KTS; and blowing steadily. However; unicom advised that the wind was variable and suggested a power-on landing. Because of light turbulence on short final above trees; I maintained higher power. Over-the-fence power was 4500 RPM (about 75%); decreased to 3500 RPM over-the-threshold; which was about 15% higher than usual for variable wind conditions. I brought the power back to 3300 RPM; still higher than usual because of the variable winds along the tree-lined; paved 2900 ft runway. At about 1/3 down the runway I visually picked out a go around point. Approximately 1200-1250 ft down the runway; it was as though I had run into a wall; and the plane pancaked; from 3-4 ft ht; onto the middle of the runway. The hard landing was a complete surprise because I was carrying sufficient power to compensate for any judgement errors and to cushion the landing. All 3 landing gear were damaged. I shut down; and hand-pushed the aircraft off the runway. The airport manager and an airport board member helped me to put the aircraft into a hangar. Subsequently I learned that a storm cell had passed through the airport about an hour-and-half earlier; which was not reported to me during my WX briefing prior to leaving ZZZ1. Whether I had encountered windshear or micro-burst; I do not know. Also; an airport board member later told me that he had experienced an almost identical windshear incident in his tail dragger and that a bonanza also had had an identical experience in a previous yr. There had been other hard lndgs as well in the past but not necessarily due to windshear. He also said that the wind had been acting differently this yr as compared to previous yrs. To become familiar with the aircraft; and prior to setting out on this trip; I had practiced crosswind and variable wind takeoffs and lndgs with and without an instructor. The practice airport also has a single runway; 9/27; except that it is a grass strip; tree-lined with trees on approach; about the same width; and with an open area in approximately the same position as in the incident airport. Every pilot I have described the incident to opined that the incident; and aircraft damage; probably could not have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LSA PILOT REPORTS HARD LANDING CAUSING GEAR DAMAGE CAUSED BY WIND SHIFT.

Narrative: I DSNDED TO APPROX 2000 FT WHERE AIR WAS SMOOTHER AND WESTERLY WINDS WERE LIGHTER; BUT WAS FACED WITH THE PROSPECT OF XING RISING TERRAIN; WHICH WOULD REQUIRE ASCENDING TO 4500 FT MSL TO SAFELY FLY OVER APCHING HILLS. THEREFORE; I DECIDED TO LAND TO TALK WITH ANY LCL PLTS ABOUT THE WIND CONDITION AND ALSO TO USE THE RESTROOM. THERE WAS NO TFC AND THE WINDSOCK ON THE RWY 27 END OF THE SINGLE RWY; 9/27; INDICATED ABOUT 260 DEGS LESS THAN 10 KTS; AND BLOWING STEADILY. HOWEVER; UNICOM ADVISED THAT THE WIND WAS VARIABLE AND SUGGESTED A PWR-ON LNDG. BECAUSE OF LIGHT TURB ON SHORT FINAL ABOVE TREES; I MAINTAINED HIGHER PWR. OVER-THE-FENCE PWR WAS 4500 RPM (ABOUT 75%); DECREASED TO 3500 RPM OVER-THE-THRESHOLD; WHICH WAS ABOUT 15% HIGHER THAN USUAL FOR VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS. I BROUGHT THE PWR BACK TO 3300 RPM; STILL HIGHER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF THE VARIABLE WINDS ALONG THE TREE-LINED; PAVED 2900 FT RWY. AT ABOUT 1/3 DOWN THE RWY I VISUALLY PICKED OUT A GAR POINT. APPROX 1200-1250 FT DOWN THE RWY; IT WAS AS THOUGH I HAD RUN INTO A WALL; AND THE PLANE PANCAKED; FROM 3-4 FT HT; ONTO THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY. THE HARD LNDG WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE BECAUSE I WAS CARRYING SUFFICIENT PWR TO COMPENSATE FOR ANY JUDGEMENT ERRORS AND TO CUSHION THE LNDG. ALL 3 LNDG GEAR WERE DAMAGED. I SHUT DOWN; AND HAND-PUSHED THE ACFT OFF THE RWY. THE ARPT MGR AND AN ARPT BOARD MEMBER HELPED ME TO PUT THE ACFT INTO A HANGAR. SUBSEQUENTLY I LEARNED THAT A STORM CELL HAD PASSED THROUGH THE ARPT ABOUT AN HR-AND-HALF EARLIER; WHICH WAS NOT RPTED TO ME DURING MY WX BRIEFING PRIOR TO LEAVING ZZZ1. WHETHER I HAD ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR OR MICRO-BURST; I DO NOT KNOW. ALSO; AN ARPT BOARD MEMBER LATER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED AN ALMOST IDENTICAL WINDSHEAR INCIDENT IN HIS TAIL DRAGGER AND THAT A BONANZA ALSO HAD HAD AN IDENTICAL EXPERIENCE IN A PREVIOUS YR. THERE HAD BEEN OTHER HARD LNDGS AS WELL IN THE PAST BUT NOT NECESSARILY DUE TO WINDSHEAR. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE WIND HAD BEEN ACTING DIFFERENTLY THIS YR AS COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YRS. TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT; AND PRIOR TO SETTING OUT ON THIS TRIP; I HAD PRACTICED XWIND AND VARIABLE WIND TKOFS AND LNDGS WITH AND WITHOUT AN INSTRUCTOR. THE PRACTICE ARPT ALSO HAS A SINGLE RWY; 9/27; EXCEPT THAT IT IS A GRASS STRIP; TREE-LINED WITH TREES ON APCH; ABOUT THE SAME WIDTH; AND WITH AN OPEN AREA IN APPROX THE SAME POS AS IN THE INCIDENT ARPT. EVERY PLT I HAVE DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT TO OPINED THAT THE INCIDENT; AND ACFT DAMAGE; PROBABLY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.