Narrative:

WX reported that day by the unicom at 73J was wind 340 degrees at 10 KTS; gusting to 20 KTS. However; after I landed and got out; I would say the winds were closer to 25 or 30 KTS. Other elements were no factor. In the area; there was also moderate turbulence and windshear around 10 KTS associated with a hurricane off the coast. Witnesses watching reported the right tire being locked up upon touchdown; with heavy amounts of smoke trailing off the aircraft's right tire. Upon touching down on runway 7 with a 20 KT crosswind; I noticed we were being pulled to the right moderately; and at first I countered with left rudder as I attributed this drift to the heavy winds. Merely a second later; the right tire blew out and it started to pull to the right unctlably. At this point; I had the left rudder on the floor and was hard on the left brake; but it continued to drift right; so I throttled up the right engine in an attempt to keep it on the runway. But as I slowed down and the control surfaces became less effective; the aircraft started to wheelbarrow on me; so I was walking a fine line of losing control of this aircraft. Between the blown tire pulling me to the right and the wind pushing me to the right; I departed the runway at about 15-20 mph. As it was coming to a stop; the nosewheel hit a soft spot in the grass at about 5 mph where there were runway light power lines buried and sunk. This action broke the nosewheel of the aircraft off resulting in propeller strikes. No one was hurt in this incident and the runway was never closed as it was moved immediately by a tug. Three things that I can think of could be the culprit for the tire locking up. 1) I could have been on the brakes when I touched down. However; I feel this is highly unlikely because I never have my feet up on the brakes when I land and the witnesses reported the smoke upon touchdown. And in this case; I would have had all the pressure on the left rudder pedal because of the crosswind from the left. But I guess it is a possibility. 2) the tire may have blown out upon landing. There was a 5 inch cut in the sidewall. 3) the wheel could have been locked up for unknown reasons. We haven't had time to break it down yet and determine this. So as to why the tire blew out or locked up is still up in the air. Everything that happened after that was done as good as could have been done. I don't think that anyone could have kept the aircraft on the runway; there were too many forces working against the aircraft. With a blown tire or a 20 KT crosswind; it takes almost everything the plane has to go straight down the runway. Put them together; and it's too much. As a side note; the runway was only 75 ft wide. Had it been 100 ft wide; I wouldn't be writing this.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG IN A STRONG XWIND; BE55 PLT EXPERIENCES BLOWN R TIRE AND EXITS RWY; COLLAPSING NOSE GEAR AND CAUSING PROP STRIKES ON BOTH ENGS.

Narrative: WX RPTED THAT DAY BY THE UNICOM AT 73J WAS WIND 340 DEGS AT 10 KTS; GUSTING TO 20 KTS. HOWEVER; AFTER I LANDED AND GOT OUT; I WOULD SAY THE WINDS WERE CLOSER TO 25 OR 30 KTS. OTHER ELEMENTS WERE NO FACTOR. IN THE AREA; THERE WAS ALSO MODERATE TURB AND WINDSHEAR AROUND 10 KTS ASSOCIATED WITH A HURRICANE OFF THE COAST. WITNESSES WATCHING RPTED THE R TIRE BEING LOCKED UP UPON TOUCHDOWN; WITH HVY AMOUNTS OF SMOKE TRAILING OFF THE ACFT'S R TIRE. UPON TOUCHING DOWN ON RWY 7 WITH A 20 KT XWIND; I NOTICED WE WERE BEING PULLED TO THE R MODERATELY; AND AT FIRST I COUNTERED WITH L RUDDER AS I ATTRIBUTED THIS DRIFT TO THE HVY WINDS. MERELY A SECOND LATER; THE R TIRE BLEW OUT AND IT STARTED TO PULL TO THE R UNCTLABLY. AT THIS POINT; I HAD THE L RUDDER ON THE FLOOR AND WAS HARD ON THE L BRAKE; BUT IT CONTINUED TO DRIFT R; SO I THROTTLED UP THE R ENG IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP IT ON THE RWY. BUT AS I SLOWED DOWN AND THE CTL SURFACES BECAME LESS EFFECTIVE; THE ACFT STARTED TO WHEELBARROW ON ME; SO I WAS WALKING A FINE LINE OF LOSING CTL OF THIS ACFT. BTWN THE BLOWN TIRE PULLING ME TO THE R AND THE WIND PUSHING ME TO THE R; I DEPARTED THE RWY AT ABOUT 15-20 MPH. AS IT WAS COMING TO A STOP; THE NOSEWHEEL HIT A SOFT SPOT IN THE GRASS AT ABOUT 5 MPH WHERE THERE WERE RWY LIGHT PWR LINES BURIED AND SUNK. THIS ACTION BROKE THE NOSEWHEEL OF THE ACFT OFF RESULTING IN PROP STRIKES. NO ONE WAS HURT IN THIS INCIDENT AND THE RWY WAS NEVER CLOSED AS IT WAS MOVED IMMEDIATELY BY A TUG. THREE THINGS THAT I CAN THINK OF COULD BE THE CULPRIT FOR THE TIRE LOCKING UP. 1) I COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE BRAKES WHEN I TOUCHED DOWN. HOWEVER; I FEEL THIS IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY BECAUSE I NEVER HAVE MY FEET UP ON THE BRAKES WHEN I LAND AND THE WITNESSES RPTED THE SMOKE UPON TOUCHDOWN. AND IN THIS CASE; I WOULD HAVE HAD ALL THE PRESSURE ON THE L RUDDER PEDAL BECAUSE OF THE XWIND FROM THE L. BUT I GUESS IT IS A POSSIBILITY. 2) THE TIRE MAY HAVE BLOWN OUT UPON LNDG. THERE WAS A 5 INCH CUT IN THE SIDEWALL. 3) THE WHEEL COULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED UP FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. WE HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO BREAK IT DOWN YET AND DETERMINE THIS. SO AS TO WHY THE TIRE BLEW OUT OR LOCKED UP IS STILL UP IN THE AIR. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT WAS DONE AS GOOD AS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE. I DON'T THINK THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE KEPT THE ACFT ON THE RWY; THERE WERE TOO MANY FORCES WORKING AGAINST THE ACFT. WITH A BLOWN TIRE OR A 20 KT XWIND; IT TAKES ALMOST EVERYTHING THE PLANE HAS TO GO STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY. PUT THEM TOGETHER; AND IT'S TOO MUCH. AS A SIDE NOTE; THE RWY WAS ONLY 75 FT WIDE. HAD IT BEEN 100 FT WIDE; I WOULDN'T BE WRITING THIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.