Pilot of a tailwheel converted C150 loses directional control during crosswind landing resulting in ...

Attributes
ACN	299371
Time
Date	199503
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rvl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 4900 flight time type : 0
ASRS Report	299371
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a VFR approach to runway 24, I experienced a 10-15 KT crosswind from the right. I held 65 KTS and 20 degree flaps as instructed by the aircraft owner who occupied the right seat. Due to the crosswind, I was planning a wheel landing. Attitude control was challenging due to gusting winds coming off nearby hills on the right side. As I crossed the numbers, the aircraft touched down on the right main and bounced and the aircraft touched down a second time and suddenly veered off to the left. I attempted to correct with right rudder while holding full right aileron. I was unable to regain directional control and the aircraft spun around to the left. It made 2 rotations and sustained damage to the left wing tip and left main landing gear on the second rotation. The left wheel/tire were also damaged and there were scuff marks on the left elevator. There were no injuries to aircraft occupants or airport property. The only damage was to aircraft. Primary reason for incident was my lack of recent experience in light aircraft and the gusty crosswind conditions. I also noticed that the wind was in the process of shifting after the landing and had begun to favor runway 6. The great majority of my flight time in the previous 15 months was in a boeing 727-200 (approximately 1000 hours). The owner of the aircraft was a highly experienced pilot in this type but was not as alert as he should have been due to my high time in general. I believe the incident could have been avoided had we both been more alert to the dangers of a light tailwheel aircraft in crosswind conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A TAILWHEEL CONVERTED C150 LOSES DIRECTIONAL CTL DURING XWIND LNDG RESULTING IN A GND LOOP AND DAMAGE TO THE ACFT'S WING AND LNDG GEAR.

Narrative: DURING A VFR APCH TO RWY 24, I EXPERIENCED A 10-15 KT XWIND FROM THE R. I HELD 65 KTS AND 20 DEG FLAPS AS INSTRUCTED BY THE ACFT OWNER WHO OCCUPIED THE R SEAT. DUE TO THE XWIND, I WAS PLANNING A WHEEL LNDG. ATTITUDE CTL WAS CHALLENGING DUE TO GUSTING WINDS COMING OFF NEARBY HILLS ON THE R SIDE. AS I CROSSED THE NUMBERS, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE R MAIN AND BOUNCED AND THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN A SECOND TIME AND SUDDENLY VEERED OFF TO THE L. I ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH R RUDDER WHILE HOLDING FULL R AILERON. I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL AND THE ACFT SPUN AROUND TO THE L. IT MADE 2 ROTATIONS AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE L WING TIP AND L MAIN LNDG GEAR ON THE SECOND ROTATION. THE L WHEEL/TIRE WERE ALSO DAMAGED AND THERE WERE SCUFF MARKS ON THE L ELEVATOR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ACFT OCCUPANTS OR ARPT PROPERTY. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO ACFT. PRIMARY REASON FOR INCIDENT WAS MY LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN LIGHT ACFT AND THE GUSTY XWIND CONDITIONS. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE WIND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SHIFTING AFTER THE LNDG AND HAD BEGUN TO FAVOR RWY 6. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF MY FLT TIME IN THE PREVIOUS 15 MONTHS WAS IN A BOEING 727-200 (APPROX 1000 HRS). THE OWNER OF THE ACFT WAS A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PLT IN THIS TYPE BUT WAS NOT AS ALERT AS HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO MY HIGH TIME IN GENERAL. I BELIEVE THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD WE BOTH BEEN MORE ALERT TO THE DANGERS OF A LIGHT TAILWHEEL ACFT IN XWIND 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.

Pilot of a tailwheel converted C150 loses directional control during crosswind landing resulting in a ground loop and damage to the aircraft's wing and landing gear.