A luscombe 8A was taxiing downwind and a gust caused the aircraft to FLIP over onto its back at lew.

Attributes
ACN	451543
Time
Date	199910
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lew.airport
State Reference	ME
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Observer/Luscombe
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8150 flight time type : 180
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was repositioning aircraft from t-hangar to the east end of field. While taxiing downwind, the aircraft began to accelerate to idle power. Application of brakes initially was ineffective (out of adjustment -- not symmetrical). As the brakes became more effective, with a harder application, a wind gust (shear) estimating 30+ KTS overcame the taxi flight control input and lifted the elevator (tail) off the ground. The aircraft stopped, however, the tail (pushed by the relative wind) continued to rotate to the vertical position and then the aircraft rested on its back. Evacuate/evacuation was immediate with no fire. Damage to the vertical stabilizer tip, propeller, and fuselage skins were minimal to extensive. The windshield and other fuselage skins were damaged when uprighted. As the sole occupant, there were no injuries. Inertia-reel shoulder harnesses were quite effective.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LUSCOMBE 8A WAS TAXIING DOWNWIND AND A GUST CAUSED THE ACFT TO FLIP OVER ONTO ITS BACK AT LEW.

Narrative: I WAS REPOSITIONING ACFT FROM T-HANGAR TO THE E END OF FIELD. WHILE TAXIING DOWNWIND, THE ACFT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO IDLE PWR. APPLICATION OF BRAKES INITIALLY WAS INEFFECTIVE (OUT OF ADJUSTMENT -- NOT SYMMETRICAL). AS THE BRAKES BECAME MORE EFFECTIVE, WITH A HARDER APPLICATION, A WIND GUST (SHEAR) ESTIMATING 30+ KTS OVERCAME THE TAXI FLT CTL INPUT AND LIFTED THE ELEVATOR (TAIL) OFF THE GND. THE ACFT STOPPED, HOWEVER, THE TAIL (PUSHED BY THE RELATIVE WIND) CONTINUED TO ROTATE TO THE VERT POS AND THEN THE ACFT RESTED ON ITS BACK. EVAC WAS IMMEDIATE WITH NO FIRE. DAMAGE TO THE VERT STABILIZER TIP, PROP, AND FUSELAGE SKINS WERE MINIMAL TO EXTENSIVE. THE WINDSHIELD AND OTHER FUSELAGE SKINS WERE DAMAGED WHEN UPRIGHTED. AS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. INERTIA-REEL SHOULDER HARNESSES WERE QUITE EFFECTIVE.

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.