Narrative:

I was on final approach for runway 7 as directed by gainesville tower. On approach; I believe the winds to have been a quartering headwind with about a 10 KT crosswind component. Approach was smooth and the windsock was not observed to have any erratic behavior. Touchdown was achieved on the left main wheel and maintained as the right wheel was lowered as the aircraft slowed. At this time; several seconds after touchdown; the wind shifted and gusted producing a quartering tailwind component (as per the tower after touchdown). The aircraft pitched forward and to the right and the nose dove toward the runway and the propeller impacted as well as the tip of the right wing. The aircraft's attitude was recovered with corrective control inputs (left aileron; right rudder and back pressure on the yoke) after the propeller strike had occurred; I was able to taxi to the FBO for inspection. After inspection; my flight instructor and aircraft rental agency were immediately contacted. The sudden change in wind direction and intensity from a quartering headwind to a dangerous quartering tailwind played a large part in this occurrence. While speaking with jax approach they told me to expect runway 29 or runway 25 before handing me off to gnv tower; which then vectored me for runway 7. In my mind this indicates that the jax controller believed the prevailing winds to be from the opposite direction. After the incident the active runway was changed to runway 25 offering a headwind component on final approach. Had this change been made prior to my landing; this situation may have been avoided. I believe the incident was caused by a sequence of problems. First; the runway assignment may have been incorrect for the prevailing wind conditions -- setting up lndgs with a dangerous gusting quartering tailwind. Second; myself as the PIC should have questioned the controller's runway assignment based on the jax advisory. Thirdly; as a student pilot; my inexperience likely delayed my reaction time in responding to the increasing wind velocity and direction shift.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT LOSES CTL DURING LNDG AND LNDG ROLL; HAS PROP STRIKE AND WINGTIP DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS ON FINAL APCH FOR RWY 7 AS DIRECTED BY GAINESVILLE TWR. ON APCH; I BELIEVE THE WINDS TO HAVE BEEN A QUARTERING HEADWIND WITH ABOUT A 10 KT XWIND COMPONENT. APCH WAS SMOOTH AND THE WINDSOCK WAS NOT OBSERVED TO HAVE ANY ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. TOUCHDOWN WAS ACHIEVED ON THE L MAIN WHEEL AND MAINTAINED AS THE R WHEEL WAS LOWERED AS THE ACFT SLOWED. AT THIS TIME; SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN; THE WIND SHIFTED AND GUSTED PRODUCING A QUARTERING TAILWIND COMPONENT (AS PER THE TWR AFTER TOUCHDOWN). THE ACFT PITCHED FORWARD AND TO THE R AND THE NOSE DOVE TOWARD THE RWY AND THE PROP IMPACTED AS WELL AS THE TIP OF THE R WING. THE ACFT'S ATTITUDE WAS RECOVERED WITH CORRECTIVE CTL INPUTS (L AILERON; R RUDDER AND BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE) AFTER THE PROP STRIKE HAD OCCURRED; I WAS ABLE TO TAXI TO THE FBO FOR INSPECTION. AFTER INSPECTION; MY FLT INSTRUCTOR AND ACFT RENTAL AGENCY WERE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED. THE SUDDEN CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION AND INTENSITY FROM A QUARTERING HEADWIND TO A DANGEROUS QUARTERING TAILWIND PLAYED A LARGE PART IN THIS OCCURRENCE. WHILE SPEAKING WITH JAX APCH THEY TOLD ME TO EXPECT RWY 29 OR RWY 25 BEFORE HANDING ME OFF TO GNV TWR; WHICH THEN VECTORED ME FOR RWY 7. IN MY MIND THIS INDICATES THAT THE JAX CTLR BELIEVED THE PREVAILING WINDS TO BE FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. AFTER THE INCIDENT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS CHANGED TO RWY 25 OFFERING A HEADWIND COMPONENT ON FINAL APCH. HAD THIS CHANGE BEEN MADE PRIOR TO MY LNDG; THIS SITUATION MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I BELIEVE THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A SEQUENCE OF PROBS. FIRST; THE RWY ASSIGNMENT MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECT FOR THE PREVAILING WIND CONDITIONS -- SETTING UP LNDGS WITH A DANGEROUS GUSTING QUARTERING TAILWIND. SECOND; MYSELF AS THE PIC SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CTLR'S RWY ASSIGNMENT BASED ON THE JAX ADVISORY. THIRDLY; AS A STUDENT PLT; MY INEXPERIENCE LIKELY DELAYED MY REACTION TIME IN RESPONDING TO THE INCREASING WIND VELOCITY AND DIRECTION SHIFT.

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.