Narrative:

Aircraft is a taildragger. Unexpected crosswind gust on wheel landing lifted left wing and caused pivot to the left on right main wheel. Despite best efforts, left aileron and right rudder corrections did not restore directional control and aircraft veered to the left. In an effort to avoid leaving the runway and possibly damaging the aircraft and runway edge lights, attempted to brake gently but over braked and caused aircraft to nose over. Propeller struck the runway. No injuries or external property damage. Aircraft was not damaged substantially and incident was, therefore, not reported. Likely cause was too much braking action applied while aircraft tailwheel was off the ground at a point where weight of the tail pivoted the tail up on the main gear. Contributing factor was loss of directional control due to lack of tailwheel ground contact and insufficient airspeed over rudder and aileron surfaces to allow full control effectiveness. Tail of this aircraft is heavy (250 pounds) and exerts a great deal of force. To prevent recurrence in gusty crosswind conditions, will minimize use of wheel lndgs in this type aircraft, but if necessary, will not use brakes until tailwheel is on the ground and speed is diminished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M-7 PLT LOST ACFT CTL WHEN DOING A WHEEL LNDG. THE ACFT NOSE AND PROP CONTACTED THE RWY.

Narrative: ACFT IS A TAILDRAGGER. UNEXPECTED XWIND GUST ON WHEEL LNDG LIFTED L WING AND CAUSED PIVOT TO THE L ON R MAIN WHEEL. DESPITE BEST EFFORTS, L AILERON AND R RUDDER CORRECTIONS DID NOT RESTORE DIRECTIONAL CTL AND ACFT VEERED TO THE L. IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID LEAVING THE RWY AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING THE ACFT AND RWY EDGE LIGHTS, ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE GENTLY BUT OVER BRAKED AND CAUSED ACFT TO NOSE OVER. PROP STRUCK THE RWY. NO INJURIES OR EXTERNAL PROPERTY DAMAGE. ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED SUBSTANTIALLY AND INCIDENT WAS, THEREFORE, NOT RPTED. LIKELY CAUSE WAS TOO MUCH BRAKING ACTION APPLIED WHILE ACFT TAILWHEEL WAS OFF THE GND AT A POINT WHERE WT OF THE TAIL PIVOTED THE TAIL UP ON THE MAIN GEAR. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CTL DUE TO LACK OF TAILWHEEL GND CONTACT AND INSUFFICIENT AIRSPD OVER RUDDER AND AILERON SURFACES TO ALLOW FULL CTL EFFECTIVENESS. TAIL OF THIS ACFT IS HVY (250 LBS) AND EXERTS A GREAT DEAL OF FORCE. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE IN GUSTY XWIND CONDITIONS, WILL MINIMIZE USE OF WHEEL LNDGS IN THIS TYPE ACFT, BUT IF NECESSARY, WILL NOT USE BRAKES UNTIL TAILWHEEL IS ON THE GND AND SPD IS DIMINISHED.

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.