Incident Details
At an airport where one runway was out of service, a pilot landed and was instructed to hold for air carrier aircraft. After approximately a five-minute delay, the pilot was cleared to taxi to the general aviation parking area.
Sequence of Events
During the taxi phase, a wind shift occurred due to an approaching thunderstorm. The pilot reported that ground control indicated winds from the west at 25 knots, gusting to 45 knots. Upon reaching the parking area, the pilot positioned the aircraft in a north-south orientation and waited for a line boy to tie it down. To maintain elevator and rudder effectiveness in the gusty conditions, the pilot kept the engine running.
As the pilot remained in the aircraft, wind gusts increased to 65 knots. The aircraft was then blown sideways and subsequently flipped over.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was stated in the source.