On March 19, 2007, a Cessna 150A (registration N6463T) operated by John D. Hardt was involved in an aviation accident near Davenport, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing, which resulted in a nose over. Wind gusts and the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind condition were factors. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An airplane veered right and exited the runway during a wheel landing in gusty crosswind conditions. The subsequent nose-over caused substantial damage to the left wing tip, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot noted that earlier tailwheel lowering and reduced braking could have maintained control.
Accident Sequence
The pilot performed a wheel landing on Runway 05 with a right crosswind from 150 degrees at 12 knots and gusting. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and brakes in an attempt to correct the deviation, but the airplane departed the right side of the runway. It then nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing tip, vertical stabilizer, and rudder.
Pilot Comments
In a post-accident statement, the pilot indicated that directional control could have been maintained if the tailwheel had been lowered sooner and if heavy braking had not been applied.