Narrative:

I burn a true 4 1/2 per gallon but it had taken me a full hour from hatteras to rodanthe and even though I had 1 1/2 hours worth of fuel left, I decided to make a precautionary landing, wait out the winds and then continue to manteo. All went well. I selected an empty road with no obstructions of note, cleared the telephone poles and wires, eased down onto the road in a quartering crosswind. I had slowed to 30 or less when a gust lifted my left wing. I reacted perhaps too quickly and gave it left aileron. This brought the wing down but since I was on rollout and already on the deck, the steerable nosewheel turned me left into some scrub cedar bushes. The leading edges were slightly damaged but no other harm. I pushed it back across the road, 1 couple who came up said they had been following me along the beach road and that sometimes at best I was making 45 mph ground speed. The plane ran up smoothly and the next day I wanted to fly it home but a mechanic suggested we take the wings off, trail it back, and repair it here in manteo. That has been done and I would like to suggest that perhaps we can learn or tell others of this incident so they might be aware of a pitfall. I have almost 2500 hours flying time whereas of that less than 110 are in smas. My habits and reflexes in the sudden gust situation reverted to a perhaps too instantaneous reaction from training and habit to get that left wing down. I have landed many times crosswind in the small aircraft but never in quite as much wind. I did not want to be flipped on my back or have a wing tip damaged if she was lifted too high.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT OF SMA ACFT MADE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG DUE TO LOW FUEL CAUSED BY UNEXPECTED HIGH HEADWINDS.

Narrative: I BURN A TRUE 4 1/2 PER GALLON BUT IT HAD TAKEN ME A FULL HR FROM HATTERAS TO RODANTHE AND EVEN THOUGH I HAD 1 1/2 HRS WORTH OF FUEL LEFT, I DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG, WAIT OUT THE WINDS AND THEN CONTINUE TO MANTEO. ALL WENT WELL. I SELECTED AN EMPTY ROAD WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS OF NOTE, CLRED THE TELEPHONE POLES AND WIRES, EASED DOWN ONTO THE ROAD IN A QUARTERING XWIND. I HAD SLOWED TO 30 OR LESS WHEN A GUST LIFTED MY L WING. I REACTED PERHAPS TOO QUICKLY AND GAVE IT L AILERON. THIS BROUGHT THE WING DOWN BUT SINCE I WAS ON ROLLOUT AND ALREADY ON THE DECK, THE STEERABLE NOSEWHEEL TURNED ME L INTO SOME SCRUB CEDAR BUSHES. THE LEADING EDGES WERE SLIGHTLY DAMAGED BUT NO OTHER HARM. I PUSHED IT BACK ACROSS THE ROAD, 1 COUPLE WHO CAME UP SAID THEY HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ME ALONG THE BEACH ROAD AND THAT SOMETIMES AT BEST I WAS MAKING 45 MPH GND SPD. THE PLANE RAN UP SMOOTHLY AND THE NEXT DAY I WANTED TO FLY IT HOME BUT A MECH SUGGESTED WE TAKE THE WINGS OFF, TRAIL IT BACK, AND REPAIR IT HERE IN MANTEO. THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS WE CAN LEARN OR TELL OTHERS OF THIS INCIDENT SO THEY MIGHT BE AWARE OF A PITFALL. I HAVE ALMOST 2500 HRS FLYING TIME WHEREAS OF THAT LESS THAN 110 ARE IN SMAS. MY HABITS AND REFLEXES IN THE SUDDEN GUST SITUATION REVERTED TO A PERHAPS TOO INSTANTANEOUS REACTION FROM TRAINING AND HABIT TO GET THAT L WING DOWN. I HAVE LANDED MANY TIMES XWIND IN THE SMA BUT NEVER IN QUITE AS MUCH WIND. I DID NOT WANT TO BE FLIPPED ON MY BACK OR HAVE A WING TIP DAMAGED IF SHE WAS LIFTED TOO HIGH.

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.