Narrative:

Runway departure -- no injuries. This situation occurred shortly after landing a cessna 210 on runway 13 at paso robles. The aircraft encountered a strong crosswind gust, wxvaned into the wind and angled off the right side of the runway. Damage occurred when the aircraft bogged down in the mud just off the runway. The nose wheel broke off while attempting to turn back towards the runway, and the propeller sustained damage contacting the ground. The wind sock favored runway 19, but runway 19 was closed for construction. Estimated wind 170-180 degrees/12- 15 KTS. Pilot operations handbook maximum demonstrated crosswind: 21 KTS. The approach to landing was stable (75 KTS, full flaps, and approximately 500 FPM descent) and the right wing low method was used. There was no lateral drift and touchdown was on centerline, on speed (normal crosswind landing: right main gear, left main gear, and then nose). Within a second after nose wheel touchdown, the wxvaning began. I have made over 500 lndgs per yr over the last 3 yrs, many of these were in varying types of crosswind. Although it was evident a crosswind component was present, there was no indication of the severe control problems that would be encountered once on the ground. Contributing factors: surface wind. Flap setting -- the pilot's operating handbook states for normal lndgs 'flaps down preferred' to minimize touchdown speed and need for braking. Under crosswind lndgs it says, 'when landing in a strong crosswind, use the minimum flaps setting required for field length' -- but there are no cautions or warnings. I considered the crosswind moderate but not necessarily strong. In this situation, a lesser flap setting may have been a better choice, but I am not convinced it would have prevented the aircraft from wxvaning. Light gross weight -- approximately landing weight 2871 pounds. (Empty aircraft weight: 2422.6 pounds and maximum landing weight 3800 pounds) -- center of gravity computed at 40.49 inches. Forward limit 37.0 inches and aft limit 53.0.' it is possible that full flaps and the light gross weight together made the cessna 210 more susceptible to xwinds on the ground, but this factor is not covered in the cessna 210 pilots operating handbook.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: XWIND LNDG LEADS TO ACFT DAMAGE NOSE GEAR, PROP.

Narrative: RWY DEP -- NO INJURIES. THIS SIT OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER LNDG A CESSNA 210 ON RWY 13 AT PASO ROBLES. THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG XWIND GUST, WXVANED INTO THE WIND AND ANGLED OFF THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. DAMAGE OCCURRED WHEN THE ACFT BOGGED DOWN IN THE MUD JUST OFF THE RWY. THE NOSE WHEEL BROKE OFF WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN BACK TOWARDS THE RWY, AND THE PROP SUSTAINED DAMAGE CONTACTING THE GND. THE WIND SOCK FAVORED RWY 19, BUT RWY 19 WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION. ESTIMATED WIND 170-180 DEGS/12- 15 KTS. PLT OPS HANDBOOK MAX DEMONSTRATED XWIND: 21 KTS. THE APCH TO LNDG WAS STABLE (75 KTS, FULL FLAPS, AND APPROX 500 FPM DSCNT) AND THE R WING LOW METHOD WAS USED. THERE WAS NO LATERAL DRIFT AND TOUCHDOWN WAS ON CTRLINE, ON SPD (NORMAL XWIND LNDG: R MAIN GEAR, L MAIN GEAR, AND THEN NOSE). WITHIN A SECOND AFTER NOSE WHEEL TOUCHDOWN, THE WXVANING BEGAN. I HAVE MADE OVER 500 LNDGS PER YR OVER THE LAST 3 YRS, MANY OF THESE WERE IN VARYING TYPES OF XWIND. ALTHOUGH IT WAS EVIDENT A XWIND COMPONENT WAS PRESENT, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE SEVERE CTL PROBS THAT WOULD BE ENCOUNTERED ONCE ON THE GND. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SURFACE WIND. FLAP SETTING -- THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK STATES FOR NORMAL LNDGS 'FLAPS DOWN PREFERRED' TO MINIMIZE TOUCHDOWN SPD AND NEED FOR BRAKING. UNDER XWIND LNDGS IT SAYS, 'WHEN LNDG IN A STRONG XWIND, USE THE MINIMUM FLAPS SETTING REQUIRED FOR FIELD LENGTH' -- BUT THERE ARE NO CAUTIONS OR WARNINGS. I CONSIDERED THE XWIND MODERATE BUT NOT NECESSARILY STRONG. IN THIS SIT, A LESSER FLAP SETTING MAY HAVE BEEN A BETTER CHOICE, BUT I AM NOT CONVINCED IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ACFT FROM WXVANING. LIGHT GROSS WT -- APPROX LNDG WT 2871 LBS. (EMPTY ACFT WT: 2422.6 LBS AND MAX LNDG WT 3800 LBS) -- CTR OF GRAVITY COMPUTED AT 40.49 INCHES. FORWARD LIMIT 37.0 INCHES AND AFT LIMIT 53.0.' IT IS POSSIBLE THAT FULL FLAPS AND THE LIGHT GROSS WT TOGETHER MADE THE CESSNA 210 MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO XWINDS ON THE GND, BUT THIS FACTOR IS NOT COVERED IN THE CESSNA 210 PLTS OPERATING HANDBOOK.

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.