Narrative:

The day VFR flight was a business trip for WX xzxz, stockholder and treasurer for FBO, which owns the aircraft. He asked if he could fly, and given his yrs of experience in aircraft and my qualifications, we agreed to that arrangement. The WX on that day was clear VFR, with very gusty winds out of the west. While on final approach, the last report of the winds by the tower, as I recall, was 270 degrees at 20 KTS gusting to 30 KTS. We landed routinely on runway 24. WX xzxz was manipulating the controls, with close attention and some guiding manipulation of the controls from me. We slowed to taxi speed by a point a few ft past taxiway B, but were not in a position to make the turnoff. We then taxied straight ahead, awaiting taxi instructions from the tower. The tower asked us where we were parking, and after receiving my response, then instructed us to turn left onto taxiway south, remain with him and informed us of another aircraft on final for runway 24. We then proceeded to taxi at normal taxi speed down runway 24 toward taxiway south, approximately 2000 ft beyond taxiway B. It was at the end of this taxi, as we were turning left off runway 24, that the event in question took place. As we approached taxiway south, I was asserting guiding control of the aircraft with left rudder pressure, as I was directing WX xzxz toward the turn (a 90 degree angle to the runway) with the engines at idle power. About 1/2 way through the turn, and at a point where the wind was directly perpendicular to our taxi track, there was a sudden and severe gust of wind which made the aircraft momentarily impossible to control, and WX vaned the nose slightly back to the right toward the edge of the taxiway. In retrospect, the gust of wind at that intersection must have been far in excess of the 30 KT gusts previously reported by the tower. We both tried simultaneously to regain control of the aircraft but it was too late. Our forward motion caused us to hit a taxiway light with the right propeller as we were coming to a stop.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA23-250 WHILE TURNING ONTO A TXWY IN HVY GUSTY WINDS THE PLT MOMENTARILY LOST CTL OF THE ACFT STRIKING A TXWY LIGHT INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE R PROP.

Narrative: THE DAY VFR FLT WAS A BUSINESS TRIP FOR WX XZXZ, STOCKHOLDER AND TREASURER FOR FBO, WHICH OWNS THE ACFT. HE ASKED IF HE COULD FLY, AND GIVEN HIS YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN ACFT AND MY QUALIFICATIONS, WE AGREED TO THAT ARRANGEMENT. THE WX ON THAT DAY WAS CLR VFR, WITH VERY GUSTY WINDS OUT OF THE W. WHILE ON FINAL APCH, THE LAST RPT OF THE WINDS BY THE TWR, AS I RECALL, WAS 270 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 30 KTS. WE LANDED ROUTINELY ON RWY 24. WX XZXZ WAS MANIPULATING THE CTLS, WITH CLOSE ATTN AND SOME GUIDING MANIPULATION OF THE CTLS FROM ME. WE SLOWED TO TAXI SPD BY A POINT A FEW FT PAST TXWY B, BUT WERE NOT IN A POS TO MAKE THE TURNOFF. WE THEN TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD, AWAITING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR. THE TWR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE PARKING, AND AFTER RECEIVING MY RESPONSE, THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L ONTO TXWY S, REMAIN WITH HIM AND INFORMED US OF ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 24. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI AT NORMAL TAXI SPD DOWN RWY 24 TOWARD TXWY S, APPROX 2000 FT BEYOND TXWY B. IT WAS AT THE END OF THIS TAXI, AS WE WERE TURNING L OFF RWY 24, THAT THE EVENT IN QUESTION TOOK PLACE. AS WE APCHED TXWY S, I WAS ASSERTING GUIDING CTL OF THE ACFT WITH L RUDDER PRESSURE, AS I WAS DIRECTING WX XZXZ TOWARD THE TURN (A 90 DEG ANGLE TO THE RWY) WITH THE ENGS AT IDLE PWR. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN, AND AT A POINT WHERE THE WIND WAS DIRECTLY PERPENDICULAR TO OUR TAXI TRACK, THERE WAS A SUDDEN AND SEVERE GUST OF WIND WHICH MADE THE ACFT MOMENTARILY IMPOSSIBLE TO CTL, AND WX VANED THE NOSE SLIGHTLY BACK TO THE R TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. IN RETROSPECT, THE GUST OF WIND AT THAT INTXN MUST HAVE BEEN FAR IN EXCESS OF THE 30 KT GUSTS PREVIOUSLY RPTED BY THE TWR. WE BOTH TRIED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO REGAIN CTL OF THE ACFT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. OUR FORWARD MOTION CAUSED US TO HIT A TXWY LIGHT WITH THE R PROP AS WE WERE COMING TO A STOP.

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.