Operating a very light weight high wing aircraft on public transport flights in winds gusting 56 knots was a dumb decision!
This should read:
Operating a very light weight high wing aircraft with narrow track, fuselage mounted landing gear on public transport flights in winds gusting 56 knots was a dumb decision!
There are some very good reasons why some designers mount the landing gear in the wing of high winged aircraft (e.g. Dash 8, Fokker, Antonov, etc.).