Narrative:

ATIS was reporting winds 320/6. Pilot approached airport left downwind for runway 32 for 2 touch and go's, followed by full stop. Air at pattern altitude was smooth. At turn from base to final, pilot began to experience the turbulence. At approximately 100-200 AGL, air again became smooth and calm. Pilot executed a normal touch and go with no difficulty. At midfield right downwind, tower advised that winds were unusual (paraphrase) variable 090-130/G20, and asked if we would prefer runway 14. Pilot advised runway 14, full stop. Ash has 1 runway--14-32, 5500' X 100'. Pilot noticed winds moderate from northeast, almost no turbulence at pattern altitude. During final approach, pilot experienced moderate turbulence from approximately 400-500' AGL that continued to surface. Shortly after a full stall landing, with tail wheel tracking, aircraft began to yaw to the left. With power kept at idle, full right rudder was applied, followed by full right brake plus full right rudder. Aircraft continued left yaw until right main gear struts snapped. Right wing tip scraped runway and propeller tips struck runway. Pilot believed that the aircraft was struck by a moderate to strong left quartering tail wind gut during rollout, just prior to ground loop. There was a clear cold front passing through the area at the time of event. There were no special WX advisories issued. Tower personnel later said that they have often seen unusual winds at this airport, but none as unusual as this. Wind directions had passed through every quadrant of the compass (paraphrase). Pilot believed that adding power just prior to losing control may have provided enough rudder authority to prevent a ground loop, but also may have caused the aircraft to become airborne again in dangerous conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT, LOW TIME, EXPERIENCES LOSS OF ACFT CTL AS ACFT GND LOOPS IN CROSSWIND LNDG.

Narrative: ATIS WAS RPTING WINDS 320/6. PLT APCHED ARPT LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32 FOR 2 TOUCH AND GO'S, FOLLOWED BY FULL STOP. AIR AT PATTERN ALT WAS SMOOTH. AT TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, PLT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE THE TURB. AT APPROX 100-200 AGL, AIR AGAIN BECAME SMOOTH AND CALM. PLT EXECUTED A NORMAL TOUCH AND GO WITH NO DIFFICULTY. AT MIDFIELD RIGHT DOWNWIND, TWR ADVISED THAT WINDS WERE UNUSUAL (PARAPHRASE) VARIABLE 090-130/G20, AND ASKED IF WE WOULD PREFER RWY 14. PLT ADVISED RWY 14, FULL STOP. ASH HAS 1 RWY--14-32, 5500' X 100'. PLT NOTICED WINDS MODERATE FROM NE, ALMOST NO TURB AT PATTERN ALT. DURING FINAL APCH, PLT EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB FROM APPROX 400-500' AGL THAT CONTINUED TO SURFACE. SHORTLY AFTER A FULL STALL LNDG, WITH TAIL WHEEL TRACKING, ACFT BEGAN TO YAW TO THE LEFT. WITH PWR KEPT AT IDLE, FULL RIGHT RUDDER WAS APPLIED, FOLLOWED BY FULL RIGHT BRAKE PLUS FULL RIGHT RUDDER. ACFT CONTINUED LEFT YAW UNTIL RIGHT MAIN GEAR STRUTS SNAPPED. RIGHT WING TIP SCRAPED RWY AND PROP TIPS STRUCK RWY. PLT BELIEVED THAT THE ACFT WAS STRUCK BY A MODERATE TO STRONG LEFT QUARTERING TAIL WIND GUT DURING ROLLOUT, JUST PRIOR TO GND LOOP. THERE WAS A CLR COLD FRONT PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AT THE TIME OF EVENT. THERE WERE NO SPECIAL WX ADVISORIES ISSUED. TWR PERSONNEL LATER SAID THAT THEY HAVE OFTEN SEEN UNUSUAL WINDS AT THIS ARPT, BUT NONE AS UNUSUAL AS THIS. WIND DIRECTIONS HAD PASSED THROUGH EVERY QUADRANT OF THE COMPASS (PARAPHRASE). PLT BELIEVED THAT ADDING PWR JUST PRIOR TO LOSING CTL MAY HAVE PROVIDED ENOUGH RUDDER AUTHORITY TO PREVENT A GND LOOP, BUT ALSO MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ACFT TO BECOME AIRBORNE AGAIN IN DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.