Incident Overview
A pilot reported that while landing to the north, approximately halfway down the runway during the rollout, the airplane encountered a severe gust of wind from the west. The pilot stated that the airplane subsequently "weathervaned" and exited the runway surface.
Damage and Examination
As a result of the excursion, the nose gear collapsed. The accident substantially damaged the nose gear, nose gear bulkheads, engine cowling, and propeller. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the incident, the wind recorded at Greeley-Weld Country Airport (located 17 miles northeast of the accident site in Greeley, Colorado) was 270 degrees at 17 knots with gusts to 21 knots.