What happened
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, a Micro Aviation Bantam B22S aircraft encountered challenging wind conditions during a landing attempt at Katanning Airport near Ewlyamartup in Western Australia. The single-seat aircraft, powered by a Rotax 582 LC engine, was operating on a private flight and was attempting to land on runway 25 in gusty southerly crosswind conditions.
The pilot completed two precautionary circuits to assess the landing conditions, which included southerly crosswinds gusting to 7 knots. On the third circuit, the pilot initiated a landing approach. As the aircraft descended toward the runway, it became partially oriented into the wind and skewed from the approach line. Despite efforts to straighten the aircraft near the ground, a sudden gust of wind prevented the pilot from correcting the orientation before touchdown.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was notified of the accident and is gathering information about the circumstances of the landing.