Incident Overview
The pilot of a Piper PA-22 series airplane reported that during the approach to land, he observed the wind sock 'wiggling up and down' and decided to land on runway 27. He assessed the winds as coming from 290 degrees at 10 to 20 miles per hour, from the right side and gusty. Upon touchdown, a strong gust pushed the airplane toward the left side of the runway. In response, the pilot applied full right aileron control and activated the hand brakes to correct for the crosswind.
Collision and Nose-Over
The nose wheel subsequently collided with a runway edge light. The impact caused the nose wheel fork to separate from the nose landing gear strut. Shortly after the separation, the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft Brake System
The Piper PA-22 series airplanes are equipped with a hand brake lever that applies both brakes simultaneously; they do not have individual toe brakes. This design was relevant during the crosswind correction attempt.
Weather and Crosswind Conditions
Reported winds at the time of the incident were from 330 degrees with a steady wind at 17 miles per hour (mph) and gusts to 26 mph. The airplane was certified under regulations that list a demonstrated crosswind component of 10 mph. According to the FAA's crosswind component chart, the steady wind crosswind component for the accident conditions was 16 mph. The demonstrated crosswind figure is not published in the manufacturer's owner's handbook or airplane flight manual.