Narrative:

Flying IFR, diverted to dsm, wind very strong and gusty following heavy jet on final approach. Gust of wind caught aircraft before touchdown, lifted to side of runway. Landed successfully but taxied through grass to taxiway. No damage. Tower asked if I needed anything. I responded, no, everything was fine. More power on landing or a go around would have helped prevent this situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was flying a C172XP. The WX at his original destination was reporting a 100 ft ceiling, so he had to divert to his alternate. The winds were reported by the ASOS as 12-13 KTS, but the pilot reports that while he was approaching the runway he saw the windsock straight out. The aircraft was tossed 45 degrees in either direction as a result of the gusty winds and the B727 that he was following, but the reporter continued because he felt pressure to land. He was now at his alternate airport and he was seriously concerned about fuel remaining. Shortly after, when the pilot was getting into the rental car, the radio reported that the winds were gusting to 28 KTS. Days later, after the reporter returned home, he noticed that the ailerons did not appear level with the wings. He asked his mechanic to inspect the problem and was then told that the mechanic had tightened the aileron cables too tight. The reporter did not have full aileron travel while landing in the crosswind and feels that this problem, combined with the misleading ASOS report, and his mindset, got him into a corner that he had trouble escaping.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C172 LOST CTL OF THE ACFT DURING LNDG AND WAS ABLE TO TAXI THROUGH THE GRASS ONTO THE TXWY, WITHOUT DAMAGING THE ACFT OR ANY ARPT PROPERTY. THE WINDS WERE GUSTING STRONGER THAN HAD BEEN RPTED ON THE ASOS AND THE RPTR HAD BEEN FOLLOWING A HVY JET.

Narrative: FLYING IFR, DIVERTED TO DSM, WIND VERY STRONG AND GUSTY FOLLOWING HVY JET ON FINAL APCH. GUST OF WIND CAUGHT ACFT BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, LIFTED TO SIDE OF RWY. LANDED SUCCESSFULLY BUT TAXIED THROUGH GRASS TO TXWY. NO DAMAGE. TWR ASKED IF I NEEDED ANYTHING. I RESPONDED, NO, EVERYTHING WAS FINE. MORE PWR ON LNDG OR A GAR WOULD HAVE HELPED PREVENT THIS SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS FLYING A C172XP. THE WX AT HIS ORIGINAL DEST WAS RPTING A 100 FT CEILING, SO HE HAD TO DIVERT TO HIS ALTERNATE. THE WINDS WERE RPTED BY THE ASOS AS 12-13 KTS, BUT THE PLT RPTS THAT WHILE HE WAS APCHING THE RWY HE SAW THE WINDSOCK STRAIGHT OUT. THE ACFT WAS TOSSED 45 DEGS IN EITHER DIRECTION AS A RESULT OF THE GUSTY WINDS AND THE B727 THAT HE WAS FOLLOWING, BUT THE RPTR CONTINUED BECAUSE HE FELT PRESSURE TO LAND. HE WAS NOW AT HIS ALTERNATE ARPT AND HE WAS SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL REMAINING. SHORTLY AFTER, WHEN THE PLT WAS GETTING INTO THE RENTAL CAR, THE RADIO RPTED THAT THE WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 28 KTS. DAYS LATER, AFTER THE RPTR RETURNED HOME, HE NOTICED THAT THE AILERONS DID NOT APPEAR LEVEL WITH THE WINGS. HE ASKED HIS MECH TO INSPECT THE PROB AND WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE MECH HAD TIGHTENED THE AILERON CABLES TOO TIGHT. THE RPTR DID NOT HAVE FULL AILERON TRAVEL WHILE LNDG IN THE XWIND AND FEELS THAT THIS PROB, COMBINED WITH THE MISLEADING ASOS RPT, AND HIS MINDSET, GOT HIM INTO A CORNER THAT HE HAD TROUBLE ESCAPING.

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.