Date: 201708
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Landing
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Training / Qualification
Second reporter function: Check Pilot; Pilot Not Flying; Captain
Anomaly: Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: During my first IOE trip and on the third and final day of the sequence; I was on final approach ILS Runway 10. The winds were out of the northeast gusting up 23 knots. The Check Airmen transferred me the aircraft controls at 500 feet. The approach was stable until the last 20 to 10 feet; or so; prior to touch down. From memory; I believe between correcting for a crab; to the left; and gusting conditions I may have slowed the aircraft too quickly. We had a hard landing. The medics were called to meet the aircraft as a precaution. The appropriate officials were notified to include maintenance. I continued my trip for my final leg. [At first]; my Chief Pilot had confirmed the landing was not hard enough to cause damage to the aircraft. After speaking with my Union Representative today; [6 weeks later]; I learned the aircraft did in fact incur damage due to the hard landing. I do not currently know exactly what damage the aircraft incurred.It was my first cross wind landing in the CRJ-700 and there were gusting winds. I feel if I would have flown the entire approach rather than given the aircraft controls for the last 500 feet before landing; the result of the landing would have been much different. It would have allowed more time to feel how the aircraft was interacting with the winds. Nevertheless; I feel that between being transferred the flight controls; correcting heading (crabbing); and the gusting winds; I allowed the aircraft to slow too quickly. By the time we were at 20 to 10 feet; I caught a gust of wind; which lifted the aircraft. By that time; the aircraft had lost enough energy and the result was a hard landing.I suggest to include crosswind landings as part of the airlines training program. Secondly; as a recommendation;  I would not allow the transfer of flight controls at 500 feet prior to landing especially in gusting wind conditions with a pilot in IOE training with less than 10 hours of flight time in that aircraft. I understand we transfer flight controls at 100 feet AGL during CAT II approaches; but the controls are being transferred to the Captain and the First Officer already has 100 Hours or greater in that specific aircraft as well.


Second narrative: [Report narrative contained no additional information.]


Synopsis: CRJ-700 crew reported a hard landing during gusty wind conditions that on later inspection caused damage to the aircraft.