Tail dragger aircraft has wind gust pickup wing, ground loop.

Attributes
ACN	271963
Time
Date	199405
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : l35
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	Skywagon 185
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	271963
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying a C-185A form lgb to L35 on may/xx/94, light and variable winds were announced on AWOS and we set up for runway 26 (the light and variable wind favored runway). On landing, a gust of wind got under the left wing, raising it and veering us off of the north side of the runway into soft grass. The aircraft ground looped sustaining minor damage to a wing tip and aileron. Also, light damage to the left elevator. 4 persons were on board and the density altitude was in the neighborhood of 8500 ft, so once it started to swerve, I did not feel it advisable to fight it back into the air. I would estimate the airspeed (gndspd at that time) to be less than 30 mph when the swerve started. 1 contributing factor that I might note was that this was a civil air patrol function and all flight personnel are wearing gi boots. Mine are about a size 12E and fill up the foot well. When the swerving started, my feet got pretty busy and I might have possibly been impacted by overly large footwear in a confined space.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL DRAGGER ACFT HAS WIND GUST PICKUP WING, GND LOOP.

Narrative: FLYING A C-185A FORM LGB TO L35 ON MAY/XX/94, LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS WERE ANNOUNCED ON AWOS AND WE SET UP FOR RWY 26 (THE LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND FAVORED RWY). ON LNDG, A GUST OF WIND GOT UNDER THE L WING, RAISING IT AND VEERING US OFF OF THE N SIDE OF THE RWY INTO SOFT GRASS. THE ACFT GND LOOPED SUSTAINING MINOR DAMAGE TO A WING TIP AND AILERON. ALSO, LIGHT DAMAGE TO THE L ELEVATOR. 4 PERSONS WERE ON BOARD AND THE DENSITY ALT WAS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 8500 FT, SO ONCE IT STARTED TO SWERVE, I DID NOT FEEL IT ADVISABLE TO FIGHT IT BACK INTO THE AIR. I WOULD ESTIMATE THE AIRSPD (GNDSPD AT THAT TIME) TO BE LESS THAN 30 MPH WHEN THE SWERVE STARTED. 1 CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT I MIGHT NOTE WAS THAT THIS WAS A CIVIL AIR PATROL FUNCTION AND ALL FLT PERSONNEL ARE WEARING GI BOOTS. MINE ARE ABOUT A SIZE 12E AND FILL UP THE FOOT WELL. WHEN THE SWERVING STARTED, MY FEET GOT PRETTY BUSY AND I MIGHT HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN IMPACTED BY OVERLY LARGE FOOTWEAR IN A CONFINED SPACE.

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.