Narrative:

I had flown from red deer to cutbank, mt, in the morning. This flight was about 3 hours long. I stopped for lunch and a rest in cutbank and then left for lewistown, mt, which was about a 2 hour flight. The WX was good VFR with some bumps due to thermals. I got WX from flight service and at that time the surface winds for lewistown were down the runway at less than 10 KTS. FSS told me that only runways 25 and 7 were available due to construction. I confirmed with AWOS that the winds (at lewistown) were xwinds at about 30 degrees off the right for runway 25 when I got to the airport. Pattern and approach were normal except the xwinds were high at pattern altitude. They were much less at ground level, however. I was just about to land (about 2-3 ft) when the wind died or became a tailwind and I lost flying speed. The plane bounced and started to turn during the bounce due to the change in wind direction. At this point I had to decide whether to try to apply power and probably land in the plowed field or try to stop. I was concerned about putting the plane on its back in the plowed field and decided to stop. The plane touched down and ground looped to the right damaging the left wingtip and the tip of the elevator. I did not damage the engine or propeller. I stopped about 4 ft off of the edge of the runway in the dirt. I then closed my flight plan by radio and called FAA to report the accident on the phone. What would I do differently? Not land in a crosswind when the dirt had been plowed to the edge of the runway. Consider recovering by adding power anyway (although my instructor thinks I would have put the plane on its back if I did). Fly a low pass to test the wind. Unfortunately I was confident this was not necessary when I decided to land. Corrective actions: get a thorough crosswind chkout with my instructor before flying again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT EXPERIENCES A LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR DURING LNDG PROC XWIND LNDG. LOSS OF ACFT CTL AS ACFT DOES A GND LOOP. RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN FROM RED DEER TO CUTBANK, MT, IN THE MORNING. THIS FLT WAS ABOUT 3 HRS LONG. I STOPPED FOR LUNCH AND A REST IN CUTBANK AND THEN LEFT FOR LEWISTOWN, MT, WHICH WAS ABOUT A 2 HR FLT. THE WX WAS GOOD VFR WITH SOME BUMPS DUE TO THERMALS. I GOT WX FROM FLT SVC AND AT THAT TIME THE SURFACE WINDS FOR LEWISTOWN WERE DOWN THE RWY AT LESS THAN 10 KTS. FSS TOLD ME THAT ONLY RWYS 25 AND 7 WERE AVAILABLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. I CONFIRMED WITH AWOS THAT THE WINDS (AT LEWISTOWN) WERE XWINDS AT ABOUT 30 DEGS OFF THE R FOR RWY 25 WHEN I GOT TO THE ARPT. PATTERN AND APCH WERE NORMAL EXCEPT THE XWINDS WERE HIGH AT PATTERN ALT. THEY WERE MUCH LESS AT GND LEVEL, HOWEVER. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO LAND (ABOUT 2-3 FT) WHEN THE WIND DIED OR BECAME A TAILWIND AND I LOST FLYING SPD. THE PLANE BOUNCED AND STARTED TO TURN DURING THE BOUNCE DUE TO THE CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION. AT THIS POINT I HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY TO APPLY PWR AND PROBABLY LAND IN THE PLOWED FIELD OR TRY TO STOP. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING THE PLANE ON ITS BACK IN THE PLOWED FIELD AND DECIDED TO STOP. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND GND LOOPED TO THE R DAMAGING THE L WINGTIP AND THE TIP OF THE ELEVATOR. I DID NOT DAMAGE THE ENG OR PROP. I STOPPED ABOUT 4 FT OFF OF THE EDGE OF THE RWY IN THE DIRT. I THEN CLOSED MY FLT PLAN BY RADIO AND CALLED FAA TO RPT THE ACCIDENT ON THE PHONE. WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY? NOT LAND IN A XWIND WHEN THE DIRT HAD BEEN PLOWED TO THE EDGE OF THE RWY. CONSIDER RECOVERING BY ADDING PWR ANYWAY (ALTHOUGH MY INSTRUCTOR THINKS I WOULD HAVE PUT THE PLANE ON ITS BACK IF I DID). FLY A LOW PASS TO TEST THE WIND. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS CONFIDENT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY WHEN I DECIDED TO LAND. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: GET A THOROUGH XWIND CHKOUT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR BEFORE FLYING AGAIN.

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.