SMA PLT EXPERIENCES A LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR DURING LNDG PROC XWIND LNDG. LOSS OF ACFT CTL AS ACFT DOES A GND LOOP. RWY EXCURSION.
Synopsis
SMA PLT EXPERIENCES A LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR DURING LNDG PROC XWIND LNDG. LOSS OF ACFT CTL AS ACFT DOES A GND LOOP. RWY EXCURSION.
Narrative
I HAD FLOWN FROM RED DEER TO CUTBANK; MT; IN THE MORNING. THIS FLT WAS ABOUT 3 HRS LONG. I STOPPED FOR LUNCH AND A REST IN CUTBANK AND THEN LEFT FOR LEWISTOWN; MT; WHICH WAS ABOUT A 2 HR FLT. THE WX WAS GOOD VFR WITH SOME BUMPS DUE TO THERMALS. I GOT WX FROM FLT SVC AND AT THAT TIME THE SURFACE WINDS FOR LEWISTOWN WERE DOWN THE RWY AT LESS THAN 10 KTS. FSS TOLD ME THAT ONLY RWYS 25 AND 7 WERE AVAILABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. I CONFIRMED WITH AWOS THAT THE WINDS (AT LEWISTOWN) WERE XWINDS AT ABOUT 30 DEGS OFF THE R FOR RWY 25 WHEN I GOT TO THE ARPT. PATTERN AND APCH WERE NORMAL EXCEPT THE XWINDS WERE HIGH AT PATTERN ALT. THEY WERE MUCH LESS AT GND LEVEL; HOWEVER. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO LAND (ABOUT 2-3 FT) WHEN THE WIND DIED OR BECAME A TAILWIND AND I LOST FLYING SPD. THE PLANE BOUNCED AND STARTED TO TURN DURING THE BOUNCE DUE TO THE CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION. AT THIS POINT I HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY TO APPLY PWR AND PROBABLY LAND IN THE PLOWED FIELD OR TRY TO STOP. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING THE PLANE ON ITS BACK IN THE PLOWED FIELD AND DECIDED TO STOP. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND GND LOOPED TO THE R DAMAGING THE L WINGTIP AND THE TIP OF THE ELEVATOR. I DID NOT DAMAGE THE ENG OR PROP. I STOPPED ABOUT 4 FT OFF OF THE EDGE OF THE RWY IN THE DIRT. I THEN CLOSED MY FLT PLAN BY RADIO AND CALLED FAA TO RPT THE ACCIDENT ON THE PHONE. WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY? NOT LAND IN A XWIND WHEN THE DIRT HAD BEEN PLOWED TO THE EDGE OF THE RWY. CONSIDER RECOVERING BY ADDING PWR ANYWAY (ALTHOUGH MY INSTRUCTOR THINKS I WOULD HAVE PUT THE PLANE ON ITS BACK IF I DID). FLY A LOW PASS TO TEST THE WIND. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS CONFIDENT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY WHEN I DECIDED TO LAND. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: GET A THOROUGH XWIND CHKOUT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR BEFORE FLYING AGAIN.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.