Narrative:

I departed altoona airport (aoo) en route to somerset county airport (2g9) at approximately XX35 am EDT. An airport advisory was received before takeoff. Although ceilings were reported clear below 12000 ft, it was hazy, winds were 180 at 8 KTS at altoona and I used runway 20 for takeoff. The flight was uneventful, however, the wind velocity was picking up. When I approached somerset county airport at approximately XA00, I received an AWOS report and when I reported final for runway 24 somerset, I received an airport advisory. Visibility and WX were well above limits, but the wind was 15 KTS gusting to 22 at 180. I approached the runway in a side-slip and touched down near the 1000 ft marker. As I was in the rollout, a gust of wind picked the nose of the plane up then the entire airplane went airborne even though my indicated airspeed before the gust of wind was about 50 KTS. I was well below my stall speed and unable to regain airspeed for sustained flight. When the nose leveled off, I saw I was blown off the runway pavement to the right and coming down on the grass. The left main gear may have been on or very near the pavement but the nose gear and right main gear were on the grass. The plane settled down evenly and rolled approximately 20 ft (we observed the tracks on the grass afterwards). During the roll the nose gear snapped off, it was suggested that if I got on the left rudder to bring the plane back onto the runway, the strain could have been too much for the gear, however, I do not recall if I had pressure on the left rudder or not. When the nose gear failed, the propeller struck and the nose dropped onto the grass and dug in. The tail of the plane came straight up over onto the back of the plane. The plane traveled less than 100 ft from the point it first touched the grass along the runway to the tip of the tail when it came to rest. In second-guessing the situation, I believe even though the winds were almost directly to the side, they were gusting and swirling, therefore, if I would have had the yoke in the forward position, the nose may not have lifted in the wind. Secondly, I had 3 notches of flaps down on landing. If I would have retracted the flaps immediately upon touchdown, the plane would not have had the lifting effect it had.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS GUSTY WINDS ON LNDG. LOSS OF ACFT CTL, RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ALTOONA ARPT (AOO) ENRTE TO SOMERSET COUNTY ARPT (2G9) AT APPROX XX35 AM EDT. AN ARPT ADVISORY WAS RECEIVED BEFORE TKOF. ALTHOUGH CEILINGS WERE RPTED CLR BELOW 12000 FT, IT WAS HAZY, WINDS WERE 180 AT 8 KTS AT ALTOONA AND I USED RWY 20 FOR TKOF. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, HOWEVER, THE WIND VELOCITY WAS PICKING UP. WHEN I APCHED SOMERSET COUNTY ARPT AT APPROX XA00, I RECEIVED AN AWOS RPT AND WHEN I RPTED FINAL FOR RWY 24 SOMERSET, I RECEIVED AN ARPT ADVISORY. VISIBILITY AND WX WERE WELL ABOVE LIMITS, BUT THE WIND WAS 15 KTS GUSTING TO 22 AT 180. I APCHED THE RWY IN A SIDE-SLIP AND TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE 1000 FT MARKER. AS I WAS IN THE ROLLOUT, A GUST OF WIND PICKED THE NOSE OF THE PLANE UP THEN THE ENTIRE AIRPLANE WENT AIRBORNE EVEN THOUGH MY INDICATED AIRSPD BEFORE THE GUST OF WIND WAS ABOUT 50 KTS. I WAS WELL BELOW MY STALL SPD AND UNABLE TO REGAIN AIRSPD FOR SUSTAINED FLT. WHEN THE NOSE LEVELED OFF, I SAW I WAS BLOWN OFF THE RWY PAVEMENT TO THE R AND COMING DOWN ON THE GRASS. THE L MAIN GEAR MAY HAVE BEEN ON OR VERY NEAR THE PAVEMENT BUT THE NOSE GEAR AND R MAIN GEAR WERE ON THE GRASS. THE PLANE SETTLED DOWN EVENLY AND ROLLED APPROX 20 FT (WE OBSERVED THE TRACKS ON THE GRASS AFTERWARDS). DURING THE ROLL THE NOSE GEAR SNAPPED OFF, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT IF I GOT ON THE L RUDDER TO BRING THE PLANE BACK ONTO THE RWY, THE STRAIN COULD HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH FOR THE GEAR, HOWEVER, I DO NOT RECALL IF I HAD PRESSURE ON THE L RUDDER OR NOT. WHEN THE NOSE GEAR FAILED, THE PROP STRUCK AND THE NOSE DROPPED ONTO THE GRASS AND DUG IN. THE TAIL OF THE PLANE CAME STRAIGHT UP OVER ONTO THE BACK OF THE PLANE. THE PLANE TRAVELED LESS THAN 100 FT FROM THE POINT IT FIRST TOUCHED THE GRASS ALONG THE RWY TO THE TIP OF THE TAIL WHEN IT CAME TO REST. IN SECOND-GUESSING THE SIT, I BELIEVE EVEN THOUGH THE WINDS WERE ALMOST DIRECTLY TO THE SIDE, THEY WERE GUSTING AND SWIRLING, THEREFORE, IF I WOULD HAVE HAD THE YOKE IN THE FORWARD POS, THE NOSE MAY NOT HAVE LIFTED IN THE WIND. SECONDLY, I HAD 3 NOTCHES OF FLAPS DOWN ON LNDG. IF I WOULD HAVE RETRACTED THE FLAPS IMMEDIATELY UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE PLANE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE LIFTING EFFECT IT HAD.

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.