What happened
While approaching the airport, the pilot observed the windsock moving vertically and elected to land on runway 27. The pilot noted that winds were originating from 290 degrees at 10 to 20 miles per hour, which would result in a gusty crosswind from the right side of the aircraft.
During the landing roll, a strong gust of wind pushed the Piper PA-22 toward the left side of the runway. In an attempt to correct the crosswind, the pilot applied full right aileron and engaged the hand brakes. During this maneuver, the nose wheel struck a runway edge light. The impact caused the nose wheel fork to separate from the nose landing gear strut, and the airplane nosed over shortly thereafter.
The investigation
Investigation into the aircraft's braking system revealed that the Piper PA-22 series does not utilize individual toe brakes; instead, a single brake handle activates both brakes simultaneously.
Weather data at the time of the accident indicated winds from 330 degrees with a steady speed of 17 mph and gusts reaching 26 mph. Based on the FAA crosswind component chart, the steady wind component for this landing was 16 mph. Under the regulations governing the aircraft's certification, the demonstrated crosswind component is 10 mph. The manufacturer's owner's handbook and airplane flight manual do not publish a demonstrated crosswind figure for this aircraft.