Narrative:

Landed on runway 7 solo in PA12-150 winds out of columbia river gorge blowing 18 KTS gusting to 35 KTS variable from the southeast to 080 degrees. Uneventful landing. Taxied clear of the active. I remember I used left brake to help start turn, throttle at idle after initiating turn on to a parallel taxiway north intersection. The wind shifted out of southeast. As I went to raise flaps the tail arose and the propeller struck the taxiway. I had already turned north. I feel as though, if I had raised flaps on runway that would have helped, instead of reaching for them as tail came up. Only damage was to the propeller, bent tips. Tower called FAA due to the propeller strike. The FAA investigator (of which there were 3 for a propeller strike, our tax money at work) argued that lowering the flaps would not have helped my situation. I disagree. Even at such an angle the wings and tail develop lift and will fly. If you've ever wheel landed a PA12, 14, 18 you're aware that the flaps really hold the tail up as the center of lift moves aft. The tail rose up before the turn was complete, then the right wing and tail came up even more and the propeller struck the ground, all before I could stop it. It was a dynamic situation, the wind shifting southeast, me turning from headwind to crosswind to tailwind once the propeller actually hit. But bear in mind it all happened in about 2 seconds, on a 35 KT gust. It is also possible that I released pressure on the stick when I reached for the flaps and that I still had some brake on the left to help overcome WX vaning and get around to turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PA12-150 HAS PROP STRIKE WHEN TAXIING AND TURNING THE ACFT AS A STRONG, GUSTING TAILWIND LIFTED THE TAIL OF THE CONVENTIONAL GEAR ACFT.

Narrative: LANDED ON RWY 7 SOLO IN PA12-150 WINDS OUT OF COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE BLOWING 18 KTS GUSTING TO 35 KTS VARIABLE FROM THE SE TO 080 DEGS. UNEVENTFUL LNDG. TAXIED CLR OF THE ACTIVE. I REMEMBER I USED L BRAKE TO HELP START TURN, THROTTLE AT IDLE AFTER INITIATING TURN ON TO A PARALLEL TXWY NORTH INTXN. THE WIND SHIFTED OUT OF SE. AS I WENT TO RAISE FLAPS THE TAIL AROSE AND THE PROP STRUCK THE TXWY. I HAD ALREADY TURNED N. I FEEL AS THOUGH, IF I HAD RAISED FLAPS ON RWY THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED, INSTEAD OF REACHING FOR THEM AS TAIL CAME UP. ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE PROP, BENT TIPS. TWR CALLED FAA DUE TO THE PROP STRIKE. THE FAA INVESTIGATOR (OF WHICH THERE WERE 3 FOR A PROP STRIKE, OUR TAX MONEY AT WORK) ARGUED THAT LOWERING THE FLAPS WOULD NOT HAVE HELPED MY SIT. I DISAGREE. EVEN AT SUCH AN ANGLE THE WINGS AND TAIL DEVELOP LIFT AND WILL FLY. IF YOU'VE EVER WHEEL LANDED A PA12, 14, 18 YOU'RE AWARE THAT THE FLAPS REALLY HOLD THE TAIL UP AS THE CTR OF LIFT MOVES AFT. THE TAIL ROSE UP BEFORE THE TURN WAS COMPLETE, THEN THE R WING AND TAIL CAME UP EVEN MORE AND THE PROP STRUCK THE GND, ALL BEFORE I COULD STOP IT. IT WAS A DYNAMIC SIT, THE WIND SHIFTING SE, ME TURNING FROM HEADWIND TO XWIND TO TAILWIND ONCE THE PROP ACTUALLY HIT. BUT BEAR IN MIND IT ALL HAPPENED IN ABOUT 2 SECONDS, ON A 35 KT GUST. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT I RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE STICK WHEN I REACHED FOR THE FLAPS AND THAT I STILL HAD SOME BRAKE ON THE L TO HELP OVERCOME WX VANING AND GET AROUND TO TURN.

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.