Incident Overview
The pilot of a single-engine aircraft reported an incident during the landing approach. According to the pilot, there was a moderate crosswind from the east at approximately 10 knots. The pilot corrected for the crosswind by banking the aircraft into the wind.
Sequence of Events
Shortly before the runway threshold, a gust of wind from the west raised the aircraft's wing. The pilot attempted corrective action using rudder and aileron. The aircraft banked to the right, and the pilot tried to pull up as the aircraft entered a nose-down attitude. The pilot was unable to fully recover from the sudden attitude change. As a result, the aircraft contacted the ground with the nosewheel, which subsequently separated from the aircraft. The propeller and later the cowling struck the runway.
Airport Information
The airport manager stated that the pilot had called on the UNICOM frequency to request current weather conditions. The airport manager advised the pilot of a 15 to 20 knot crosswind, based on observation of the airport windsock.