Narrative:

I was practicing touch and goes in an small aircraft X, by myself, at rnt, which had an operating control tower and a 5000' runway. The wind was somewhat brisk and gusty--ATIS was reporting 8 KTS, but it was probably gusting to about 15. ATIS was also reporting a wind direction about 20 degrees off the runway heading, but the windsock was showing considerable change in wind direction. My previous small aircraft X experience consisted of 2 hours dual, and 2 hours solo touch and goes about 2 months ago. All of my other flying time has been in small aircraft Y and small aircraft Z. I have made a total of about 500 lndgs, with about 30 or 40 under conditions similar to the above, but all previous small aircraft X lndgs were under fairly calm conditions. On my second touch and go of the day, I made what appeared to be a normal approach and T/D, although I'm not sure if all 3 wheels were down. A gust of wind lifted a wing, resulting in a very unusual ground attitude. It seemed for a moment that the plane might FLIP over sideways, but soon all was normal and I pulled off on a taxiway to inspect the airplane. I suspected a damaged wingtip, but the only damage was to the propeller. I had no idea until then that the propeller had struck the ground. Everything happened so fast that I'm not really sure exactly what the airplane did in the 4 or 5 seconds that it was out of control. Here are what I believe to be the contributing factors in this incident: lack of experience in small aircraft X, and lack of any recent experience with gusty lndgs. I felt comfortable flying the bigger and faster airplane, but in retrospect, I should have logged more dual time with an instrument under less than ideal conditions. Instead of simply believing ATIS (8 KTS, with no mention of gusts) I should have been more aware of the actual wind conditions (I didn't even look at the windsock until after the incident). Had I done that, I would certainly have used less than full flaps for the landing and I would not have tried for a full stall, slow speed landing, but would instead have planted the airplane on the runway a little sooner. My only suggestion is to stress the need for more self discipline in obtaining the instruction and realistic practice time needed for low time pilots like me to be able to handle unexpected situations such as this. Simply meeting FAA requirements (or in this case, the more stringent proficiency requirements of my flying club) is not sufficient.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WIND GUST LIFTS WING OF GA SMA ON LNDG CAUSING PROPELLER STRIKE.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GOES IN AN SMA X, BY MYSELF, AT RNT, WHICH HAD AN OPERATING CTL TWR AND A 5000' RWY. THE WIND WAS SOMEWHAT BRISK AND GUSTY--ATIS WAS RPTING 8 KTS, BUT IT WAS PROBABLY GUSTING TO ABOUT 15. ATIS WAS ALSO RPTING A WIND DIRECTION ABOUT 20 DEGS OFF THE RWY HDG, BUT THE WINDSOCK WAS SHOWING CONSIDERABLE CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION. MY PREVIOUS SMA X EXPERIENCE CONSISTED OF 2 HRS DUAL, AND 2 HRS SOLO TOUCH AND GOES ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. ALL OF MY OTHER FLYING TIME HAS BEEN IN SMA Y AND SMA Z. I HAVE MADE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 500 LNDGS, WITH ABOUT 30 OR 40 UNDER CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THE ABOVE, BUT ALL PREVIOUS SMA X LNDGS WERE UNDER FAIRLY CALM CONDITIONS. ON MY SECOND TOUCH AND GO OF THE DAY, I MADE WHAT APPEARED TO BE A NORMAL APCH AND T/D, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SURE IF ALL 3 WHEELS WERE DOWN. A GUST OF WIND LIFTED A WING, RESULTING IN A VERY UNUSUAL GND ATTITUDE. IT SEEMED FOR A MOMENT THAT THE PLANE MIGHT FLIP OVER SIDEWAYS, BUT SOON ALL WAS NORMAL AND I PULLED OFF ON A TXWY TO INSPECT THE AIRPLANE. I SUSPECTED A DAMAGED WINGTIP, BUT THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE PROP. I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL THEN THAT THE PROP HAD STRUCK THE GND. EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO FAST THAT I'M NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE AIRPLANE DID IN THE 4 OR 5 SECS THAT IT WAS OUT OF CONTROL. HERE ARE WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT: LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN SMA X, AND LACK OF ANY RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH GUSTY LNDGS. I FELT COMFORTABLE FLYING THE BIGGER AND FASTER AIRPLANE, BUT IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE LOGGED MORE DUAL TIME WITH AN INSTR UNDER LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS. INSTEAD OF SIMPLY BELIEVING ATIS (8 KTS, WITH NO MENTION OF GUSTS) I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE ACTUAL WIND CONDITIONS (I DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE WINDSOCK UNTIL AFTER THE INCIDENT). HAD I DONE THAT, I WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE USED LESS THAN FULL FLAPS FOR THE LNDG AND I WOULD NOT HAVE TRIED FOR A FULL STALL, SLOW SPD LNDG, BUT WOULD INSTEAD HAVE PLANTED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY A LITTLE SOONER. MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS TO STRESS THE NEED FOR MORE SELF DISCIPLINE IN OBTAINING THE INSTRUCTION AND REALISTIC PRACTICE TIME NEEDED FOR LOW TIME PLTS LIKE ME TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS SUCH AS THIS. SIMPLY MEETING FAA REQUIREMENTS (OR IN THIS CASE, THE MORE STRINGENT PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS OF MY FLYING CLUB) IS NOT SUFFICIENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.