GA small aircraft loses control, drags wing, runs off runway and noses up.

Attributes
ACN	102942
Time
Date	198901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 017
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 648
ASRS Report	102942
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On approach to landing all 3 wind socks were clearly visible, and all were limp indicating no crosswind component. On final I set up a normal approach with wings level and experienced no drift. My approach speed was normal, and with wings level I was able to hold centerline with no rudder input. I began my flair and was about to T/D when I experienced a severe crosswind gust from the right. My right wings were lifted before I was able to input adequate aileron response. The lower left wing and aileron contacted the runway before my aileron input leveled the wings. At this point my heading was approximately 20 degrees to the right of centerline. Rudder input was not enough to keep the airplane on the runway. I left the right side of the runway and was on the mud between the runway and parallel taxiway when my lower right wing struck a runway sign. Directly ahead was a 4' high snow bank that I did not want to hit. I applied my brakes to avoid impact with the snow bank and came to a stop. The tail of the airplane lifted up and seemed to balance for a second or two before gently rocking over on its nose. There were no injuries to my passenger or myself.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOSES CONTROL, DRAGS WING, RUNS OFF RWY AND NOSES UP.

Narrative: ON APCH TO LNDG ALL 3 WIND SOCKS WERE CLEARLY VISIBLE, AND ALL WERE LIMP INDICATING NO XWIND COMPONENT. ON FINAL I SET UP A NORMAL APCH WITH WINGS LEVEL AND EXPERIENCED NO DRIFT. MY APCH SPD WAS NORMAL, AND WITH WINGS LEVEL I WAS ABLE TO HOLD CENTERLINE WITH NO RUDDER INPUT. I BEGAN MY FLAIR AND WAS ABOUT TO T/D WHEN I EXPERIENCED A SEVERE XWIND GUST FROM THE RIGHT. MY RIGHT WINGS WERE LIFTED BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO INPUT ADEQUATE AILERON RESPONSE. THE LOWER LEFT WING AND AILERON CONTACTED THE RWY BEFORE MY AILERON INPUT LEVELED THE WINGS. AT THIS POINT MY HDG WAS APPROX 20 DEGS TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. RUDDER INPUT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY. I LEFT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY AND WAS ON THE MUD BTWN THE RWY AND PARALLEL TXWY WHEN MY LOWER RIGHT WING STRUCK A RWY SIGN. DIRECTLY AHEAD WAS A 4' HIGH SNOW BANK THAT I DID NOT WANT TO HIT. I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO AVOID IMPACT WITH THE SNOW BANK AND CAME TO A STOP. THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE LIFTED UP AND SEEMED TO BALANCE FOR A SECOND OR TWO BEFORE GENTLY ROCKING OVER ON ITS NOSE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO MY PAX OR MYSELF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.