Runway excursion -- a low time pilot lands his high wing aircraft in a gusty crosswind and loses con...

Attributes
ACN	305718
Time
Date	199505
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 7
ASRS Report	305718
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far 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 other

Narrative:

During landing phase, aircraft main gear down, nose was being lowered. The right wing started to rise significantly and the aircraft veered to the left departing the runway. Only minor damage done to the aircraft. The ATIS at the time was reporting a 14 KTS wind from the left no more than 30 degrees. The forecast I received suggested strong gusty winds from variable directions and previously issued ATIS's matched the forecast. My reliance on the ATIS contributed to the incident, however I was slow in applying rudder correction upon encountering the shear. In addition, although I applied ailerons to lower the right wing I should have immediately lowered the nose to maintain or acquire better directional control through nosewheel steering. The severity and the power of the wind surprised me. Wind shear education for the desert environment would help prevent this type of encounter. I believe, however, that nothing short of my not landing at that particular moment would have prevented this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY EXCURSION -- A LOW TIME PLT LANDS HIS HIGH WING ACFT IN A GUSTY XWIND AND LOSES CTL AND RUNS OFF THE RWY.

Narrative: DURING LNDG PHASE, ACFT MAIN GEAR DOWN, NOSE WAS BEING LOWERED. THE R WING STARTED TO RISE SIGNIFICANTLY AND THE ACFT VEERED TO THE L DEPARTING THE RWY. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE DONE TO THE ACFT. THE ATIS AT THE TIME WAS RPTING A 14 KTS WIND FROM THE L NO MORE THAN 30 DEGS. THE FORECAST I RECEIVED SUGGESTED STRONG GUSTY WINDS FROM VARIABLE DIRECTIONS AND PREVIOUSLY ISSUED ATIS'S MATCHED THE FORECAST. MY RELIANCE ON THE ATIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT, HOWEVER I WAS SLOW IN APPLYING RUDDER CORRECTION UPON ENCOUNTERING THE SHEAR. IN ADDITION, ALTHOUGH I APPLIED AILERONS TO LOWER THE R WING I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN OR ACQUIRE BETTER DIRECTIONAL CTL THROUGH NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE SEVERITY AND THE PWR OF THE WIND SURPRISED ME. WIND SHEAR EDUCATION FOR THE DESERT ENVIRONMENT WOULD HELP PREVENT THIS TYPE OF ENCOUNTER. I BELIEVE, HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING SHORT OF MY NOT LNDG AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT.

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.

Runway excursion -- a low time pilot lands his high wing aircraft in a gusty crosswind and loses control and runs off the runway.