Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane was struck by a gust of wind he described as "pretty strong." The airport manager informed the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that winds at the time of the accident were a direct crosswind of approximately 40 knots. The airplane departed the side of the runway into a grassy area.
Sequence of Events
As the pilot attempted to correct the airplane back onto the runway, the nose landing gear encountered a depression and sheared off. The propeller subsequently struck the ground. The collision caused substantial damage to the firewall.
Pilot Report
In a phone conversation, the pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane before the accident.