AT6 pilot encounters gusty crosswind landing at cps causing runway excursion.

Attributes
ACN	441867
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cps.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cps.tower tower : jfk.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Texan T6 Harvard
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 3547 flight time type : 240
ASRS Report	441867
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

I was landing a north american AT6G texan trainer at cps airport at about XA00 hours on jul/xa/99. The runway in use was runway 12R and the winds were about 180 degrees at 12 KTS with gusts. The approach to the landing was stable, but just as I was touching down, there was a very strong gust of wind which struck the aircraft and turned the nose of the plane slightly to the right. I maintained full control of the aircraft but allowed it to run off the runway onto the grass on the right, rather than fight the gust and risk losing control of the aircraft. The aircraft came to a gentle uneventful stop on the grass -- clear of the runway. Although there was no obvious damage, I switched off the engine and called for my a&P mechanic to check the aircraft before moving it. The mechanic arrived in about 45 mins and thoroughly inspected the aircraft. He could find no structural damage and allowed the aircraft to be gently towed to the main ramp where it was again thoroughly inspected by the mechanic. When he was satisfied that there was no structural damage to the aircraft, he signed off the aircraft as safe to fly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT6 PLT ENCOUNTERS GUSTY XWIND LNDG AT CPS CAUSING RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS LNDG A NORTH AMERICAN AT6G TEXAN TRAINER AT CPS ARPT AT ABOUT XA00 HRS ON JUL/XA/99. THE RWY IN USE WAS RWY 12R AND THE WINDS WERE ABOUT 180 DEGS AT 12 KTS WITH GUSTS. THE APCH TO THE LNDG WAS STABLE, BUT JUST AS I WAS TOUCHING DOWN, THERE WAS A VERY STRONG GUST OF WIND WHICH STRUCK THE ACFT AND TURNED THE NOSE OF THE PLANE SLIGHTLY TO THE R. I MAINTAINED FULL CTL OF THE ACFT BUT ALLOWED IT TO RUN OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS ON THE R, RATHER THAN FIGHT THE GUST AND RISK LOSING CTL OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT CAME TO A GENTLE UNEVENTFUL STOP ON THE GRASS -- CLR OF THE RWY. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE, I SWITCHED OFF THE ENG AND CALLED FOR MY A&P MECH TO CHK THE ACFT BEFORE MOVING IT. THE MECH ARRIVED IN ABOUT 45 MINS AND THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE ACFT. HE COULD FIND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO BE GENTLY TOWED TO THE MAIN RAMP WHERE IT WAS AGAIN THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY THE MECH. WHEN HE WAS SATISFIED THAT THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, HE SIGNED OFF THE ACFT AS SAFE TO FLY.

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.