BFR FLT ENCOUNTERS STRONG CROSSWIND RESULTED IN NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE AND WING TIP DAMAGE.

Narrative

PIC WAS AN EXPERIENCED PVT PLT; OWNER OF THE ACFT; TO WHOM I WAS ADMINISTERING A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW. I HAD FLOWN WITH THIS PLT IN THE SAME ACFT ON 4 PRIOR OCCASIONS AND HAD NO REASON TO DOUBT HIS COMPETENCE. A 1+ HR CROSS COUNTRY HAD GONE WELL. PLT HAD REQUESTED AND RECEIVED BOTH AN ARSA AND A TCA CLRNC; AND HAD COMPLIED WELL WITH THEM. WE RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING UNTIL CANCELLING SAME WITH DEST IN SIGHT. PLT OVERFLEW FIELD ABOUT 500' ABOVE PATTERN ALT; OBSERVED WIND SOCK; NOTED RWY 28 FAVORED WITH A LEFT XWIND COMPONENT. (I ESTIMATE WINDS WERE APPROX 240 DEGS AT 20 KTS; WELL WITHIN THE XWIND CAPABILITY OF BOTH ACFT AND PLT (IN MY OPINION). PLT FLEW A NORMAL RIGHT TFC PATTERN; TURNED FINAL WITH FULL FLAPS AND PROPER AIRSPD. I SUGGESTED 'LEFT AILERON; RIGHT RUDDER.' PLT REPLIED HE PREFERRED TO CRAB RATHER THAN SLIP ON FINAL; AND SET UP A SATISFACTORY CRAB TO TRACK RWY CENTERLINE. KICKING OUT THE CRAB OVER THE THRESHOLD; PLT LET LEFT WING COME UP IN THE FLARE. PLANE WEATHER-VANED TO LEFT; NOSE GEAR STRUT COLLAPSED AND RIGHT WING TIP SCRAPED RWY. ACFT CAME TO REST ON RWY ALIGNED 45 DEGS TO THE LEFT (DIRECTLY INTO WIND); RESTING ON MAIN GEAR AND LOWER ENG COWLING. PROP TIPS HAD IMPACTED RWY. I OPENED CABIN DOOR AND INSTRUCTED PLT TO SHUT OFF FUEL AND SWITCHES. HE ALREADY WAS DOING SO. DAMAGE TO ACFT WAS RELATIVELY MINOR. PROP CAN BE STRAIGHTENED; ENG DOES NOT REQUIRE TEARDOWN; AND NOSE GEAR STRUT IS PROBABLY REBUILDABLE. NOSE TIRE AND RIGHT FIBERGLASS WING TIP MUST BE REPLACED. AT NO TIME PRIOR TO THE LEFT WING COMING UP DID I SEE ANY PLT ACTIONS WHICH SUGGESTED HIS INABILITY TO HANDLE THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS. HE APPEARED BOTH COMPETENT AND CONFIDENT; AND I SUPPOSE I RELAXED MY GUARD A BIT. THE CFI WALKS A TIGHTROPE: HE IS SUPPOSED TO LET THE QUALIFIED PIC FLY THE PLANE AND DEMONSTRATE HIS PROFICIENCY IN A BFR. HE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO LET THE PIC DAMAGE THE AIRPLANE. SHORT OF COMMANDING A GO AROUND IN THE FLARE (AND I DOUBT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT TIME TO EXECUTE ONE SAFELY); THE ONLY THING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO OVERRIDE PLT'S CTL PRESSURES AND FORCE MORE LEFT STICK AND RIGHT RUDDER. THIS I FAILED TO DO BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE PLT FULLY IN COMMAND OF THE SITUATION (POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART; COUPLED WITH PLT APPARENTLY MOMENTARILY RELAXING HIS XWIND VIGILANCE). IN RETROSPECT; OBVIOUSLY I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER CONTROL OF THE ACFT THE INSTANT THE UPWIND WING BEGAN TO RISE. BUT IF A CFI NEVER LETS THE BFR CANDIDATE LAND THE AIRPLANE; HOW CAN HE CERTIFY THE LATTER'S COMPETENCE TO ACT AS PIC? SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT XWINDS: WITH AMERICAN ENGS; LEFT IS WORSE THAN RIGHT. WE WERE ALREADY YAWING LEFT. A GO AROUND WOULD HAVE GIVEN US MORE YAW FROM ENG TORQUE; AGGRAVATING THE SITUATION. WITH A RIGHT XWIND; A BLAST OF PWR WOULD HAVE HELPED TO STRAIGHTEN US OUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 92602: A STRONG GUST FROM THE RIGHT OCCURRED AND I CORRECTED BY LOWERING THE RIGHT WING TO KEEP THE ACFT FLYING STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY. THE GUST STOPPED. I COULD NOT CORRECT IN TIME AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP TOUCHED THE RWY CAUSING THE ACFT TO GND LOOP AND THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE.