Pilot lost control of aircraft while attempting taxi during high surface wind condition.

Attributes
ACN	120464
Time
Date	198908
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bld
State Reference	NV
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, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	120464
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This airport had 2 active runways at the time. Unicom CTAF advised that 17 was preferred,but was gravel and that 21 could be used as an alternate. The pilot used 17 and executed an uneventful landing in spite of considerable turbulence on approach. The plane completed roll-out, stopped, turned 180 degrees, back-taxied to the approach end of the runway, turned off at and angle following the exit a short distance and stopped completely to radio unicom for taxi instructions for fuel. This taxiing was done with a strong following wind and the pilot clearly remembers having to hold appropriate controls to prevent the wing or tail from being caught by the wind. The pilot was told that after clearing the runway and proceeding to the parking area a heading of 210 degrees (toward a large hangar) would get him to the fueling area. Enough throttle to initiate a roll (which wasn't much) along with the left rudder was given to start a left turn as instructed. The plane, instead of turning left as expected, was caught by a gust of wind and swung violently forward and toward the right, and was swept into an aluminum airport sign. The sign had some damage--dented and scratched.the propeller was ruined, an exhaust pipe dented, and a small hole (1/8' X 1') in the belly was made where the plane came to rest on the sign post.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LOST CONTROL OF ACFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TAXI DURING HIGH SURFACE WIND CONDITION.

Narrative: THIS ARPT HAD 2 ACTIVE RWYS AT THE TIME. UNICOM CTAF ADVISED THAT 17 WAS PREFERRED,BUT WAS GRAVEL AND THAT 21 COULD BE USED AS AN ALTERNATE. THE PLT USED 17 AND EXECUTED AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG IN SPITE OF CONSIDERABLE TURB ON APCH. THE PLANE COMPLETED ROLL-OUT, STOPPED, TURNED 180 DEGS, BACK-TAXIED TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY, TURNED OFF AT AND ANGLE FOLLOWING THE EXIT A SHORT DISTANCE AND STOPPED COMPLETELY TO RADIO UNICOM FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUEL. THIS TAXIING WAS DONE WITH A STRONG FOLLOWING WIND AND THE PLT CLEARLY REMEMBERS HAVING TO HOLD APPROPRIATE CONTROLS TO PREVENT THE WING OR TAIL FROM BEING CAUGHT BY THE WIND. THE PLT WAS TOLD THAT AFTER CLRING THE RWY AND PROCEEDING TO THE PARKING AREA A HDG OF 210 DEGS (TOWARD A LARGE HANGAR) WOULD GET HIM TO THE FUELING AREA. ENOUGH THROTTLE TO INITIATE A ROLL (WHICH WASN'T MUCH) ALONG WITH THE LEFT RUDDER WAS GIVEN TO START A LEFT TURN AS INSTRUCTED. THE PLANE, INSTEAD OF TURNING LEFT AS EXPECTED, WAS CAUGHT BY A GUST OF WIND AND SWUNG VIOLENTLY FORWARD AND TOWARD THE RIGHT, AND WAS SWEPT INTO AN ALUMINUM ARPT SIGN. THE SIGN HAD SOME DAMAGE--DENTED AND SCRATCHED.THE PROPELLER WAS RUINED, AN EXHAUST PIPE DENTED, AND A SMALL HOLE (1/8' X 1') IN THE BELLY WAS MADE WHERE THE PLANE CAME TO REST ON THE SIGN POST.

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.