A PIPER PA23-250 WHILE TURNING ONTO A TXWY IN HVY GUSTY WINDS THE PLT MOMENTARILY LOST CTL OF THE ACFT STRIKING A TXWY LIGHT INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE R PROP.
Synopsis
A PIPER PA23-250 WHILE TURNING ONTO A TXWY IN HVY GUSTY WINDS THE PLT MOMENTARILY LOST CTL OF THE ACFT STRIKING A TXWY LIGHT INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE R PROP.
Narrative
THE DAY VFR FLT WAS A BUSINESS TRIP FOR WX XZXZ; STOCKHOLDER AND TREASURER FOR FBO; WHICH OWNS THE ACFT. HE ASKED IF HE COULD FLY; AND GIVEN HIS YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN ACFT AND MY QUALIFICATIONS; WE AGREED TO THAT ARRANGEMENT. THE WX ON THAT DAY WAS CLR VFR; WITH VERY GUSTY WINDS OUT OF THE W. WHILE ON FINAL APCH; THE LAST RPT OF THE WINDS BY THE TWR; AS I RECALL; WAS 270 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 30 KTS. WE LANDED ROUTINELY ON RWY 24. WX XZXZ WAS MANIPULATING THE CTLS; WITH CLOSE ATTN AND SOME GUIDING MANIPULATION OF THE CTLS FROM ME. WE SLOWED TO TAXI SPD BY A POINT A FEW FT PAST TXWY B; BUT WERE NOT IN A POS TO MAKE THE TURNOFF. WE THEN TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD; AWAITING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR. THE TWR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE PARKING; AND AFTER RECEIVING MY RESPONSE; THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L ONTO TXWY S; REMAIN WITH HIM AND INFORMED US OF ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 24. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI AT NORMAL TAXI SPD DOWN RWY 24 TOWARD TXWY S; APPROX 2000 FT BEYOND TXWY B. IT WAS AT THE END OF THIS TAXI; AS WE WERE TURNING L OFF RWY 24; THAT THE EVENT IN QUESTION TOOK PLACE. AS WE APCHED TXWY S; I WAS ASSERTING GUIDING CTL OF THE ACFT WITH L RUDDER PRESSURE; AS I WAS DIRECTING WX XZXZ TOWARD THE TURN (A 90 DEG ANGLE TO THE RWY) WITH THE ENGS AT IDLE PWR. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN; AND AT A POINT WHERE THE WIND WAS DIRECTLY PERPENDICULAR TO OUR TAXI TRACK; THERE WAS A SUDDEN AND SEVERE GUST OF WIND WHICH MADE THE ACFT MOMENTARILY IMPOSSIBLE TO CTL; AND WX VANED THE NOSE SLIGHTLY BACK TO THE R TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. IN RETROSPECT; THE GUST OF WIND AT THAT INTXN MUST HAVE BEEN FAR IN EXCESS OF THE 30 KT GUSTS PREVIOUSLY RPTED BY THE TWR. WE BOTH TRIED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO REGAIN CTL OF THE ACFT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. OUR FORWARD MOTION CAUSED US TO HIT A TXWY LIGHT WITH THE R PROP AS WE WERE COMING TO A STOP.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.