AT6 PLT ENCOUNTERS GUSTY XWIND LNDG AT CPS CAUSING RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative

I WAS LNDG A NORTH AMERICAN AT6G TEXAN TRAINER AT CPS ARPT AT ABOUT XA00 HRS ON JUL/XA/99. THE RWY IN USE WAS RWY 12R AND THE WINDS WERE ABOUT 180 DEGS AT 12 KTS WITH GUSTS. THE APCH TO THE LNDG WAS STABLE; BUT JUST AS I WAS TOUCHING DOWN; THERE WAS A VERY STRONG GUST OF WIND WHICH STRUCK THE ACFT AND TURNED THE NOSE OF THE PLANE SLIGHTLY TO THE R. I MAINTAINED FULL CTL OF THE ACFT BUT ALLOWED IT TO RUN OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS ON THE R; RATHER THAN FIGHT THE GUST AND RISK LOSING CTL OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT CAME TO A GENTLE UNEVENTFUL STOP ON THE GRASS -- CLR OF THE RWY. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE; I SWITCHED OFF THE ENG AND CALLED FOR MY A&P MECH TO CHK THE ACFT BEFORE MOVING IT. THE MECH ARRIVED IN ABOUT 45 MINS AND THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE ACFT. HE COULD FIND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO BE GENTLY TOWED TO THE MAIN RAMP WHERE IT WAS AGAIN THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY THE MECH. WHEN HE WAS SATISFIED THAT THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; HE SIGNED OFF THE ACFT AS SAFE TO FLY.