N2555G

On June 2, 2002, about 1605 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182B, N2555G, was substantially damaged while landing at the Kingsdale Airport (PA23), Littlestown, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the parachuting flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In a written statement, the pilot said he had dropped skydivers and was returning to land on runway 3, a 2,060-foot long, 100-foot wide, turf strip. During the flair stage of landing, the airplane was caught in a "downdraft." The airplane's right wing contacted the runway and the airplane landed hard.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed damage to the nose gear, propeller, firewall and wing tips. The pilot reported he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane.

A weather observation reported at an airport about 18 miles northeast of the accident site, included winds from 320 degrees at 13 knots. The pilot further reported that he conducted an uneventful flight an hour prior to the accident, with the same wind conditions.