What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: the major factor was the wind and I feel that the pilot did what he could to take control of the situation. Pilot narrative attached. Dear joe, in response to FAA form 8020-23 here follows a description of my jan. 31, 1998 incident at Ryan airfield in a laco C-145 tandem biplane with conventional gear. The flight originated at the el tiro glider port 20.0 NM northwest of Ryan late in the afternoon on a direct return trip to Ryan where the laco is hangared. Ryan AWOS reported an 8-10KT wind from 29 degrees and the tower cleared us to land on runway 24R. We flew a normal traffic pattern and landed with a slightly tail high attitude. As our speed decreased we settled to a three point attitude. After about a 100 yd. Ground roll I started to transition to begin braking when the up wind wing set lifted with an accompanying swerve to the right. I applied some right stick, left rudder and probably some left brake which caused an over correction to the left which I tried to dampen with right rudder and brake inputs. The aircraft seemed to make a sideways hop to the left followed by another three point hop to the right, at that time the lead gear strut buckled at it's mid point allowing the right lower wing tip to drag on the asphalt prior to stopping. When the fun and games was through I was facing left 90 degrees of the runway heading in the middle of the runway. I called the tower and told them that I was going to shut down and examine the aircraft in that spot and then got out my cell phone and called my partner and asked for help to move the plane. Up until I started to slow the aircraft for a turn off everything was normal. The quartering head wind was stronger than had ever been attempted with this aircraft but prior experience with winds of this strength never seemed to affect the landing routine. I had experienced this type of wing lifting in several landings in a stearman biplane and should of been on guard for this possibility. However I did let down my guard during the second half of the landing. I started to think of getting home because I was tired and just assumed this would be another uneventful trip to the hangar. The following day I came down with the flu which stayed for the two days that followed. Damage to the aircraft was held to the right main wheel leg, the tail wheel attach point and to scrapes in the fabric at the lower wing tips. Spars, ribs, longerons, bulkheads and the engine and propeller assemblies were not damaged. The aircraft is hangared in unit number 16, of the corsair condos on the east side of aviators lane at Ryan airfield. The hangar is normally closed up so we'll need to know when you'll be in the area so we can meet you there. Thanks; pete stogsdill privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: THE MAJOR FACTOR WAS THE WIND AND I FEEL THAT THE PILOT DID WHAT HE COULD TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION. PILOT NARRATIVE ATTACHED. DEAR JOE, IN RESPONSE TO FAA FORM 8020-23 HERE FOLLOWS A DESCRIPTION OF MY JAN. 31, 1998 INCIDENT AT RYAN AIRFIELD IN A LACO C-145 TANDEM BIPLANE WITH CONVENTIONAL GEAR. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE EL TIRO GLIDER PORT 20.0 NM NORTHWEST OF RYAN LATE IN THE AFTERNOON ON A DIRECT RETURN TRIP TO RYAN WHERE THE LACO IS HANGARED. RYAN AWOS REPORTED AN 8-10KT WIND FROM 29 DEGREES AND THE TOWER CLEARED US TO LAND ON RUNWAY 24R. WE FLEW A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDED WITH A SLIGHTLY TAIL HIGH ATTITUDE. AS OUR SPEED DECREASED WE SETTLED TO A THREE POINT ATTITUDE. AFTER ABOUT A 100 YD. GROUND ROLL I STARTED TO TRANSITION TO BEGIN BRAKING WHEN THE UP WIND WING SET LIFTED WITH AN ACCOMPANYING SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. I APPLIED SOME RIGHT STICK, LEFT RUDDER AND PROBABLY SOME LEFT BRAKE WHICH CAUSED AN OVER CORRECTION TO THE LEFT WHICH I TRIED TO DAMPEN WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND BRAKE INPUTS. THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO MAKE A SIDEWAYS HOP TO THE LEFT FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER THREE POINT HOP TO THE RIGHT, AT THAT TIME THE LEAD GEAR STRUT BUCKLED AT IT'S MID POINT ALLOWING THE RIGHT LOWER WING TIP TO DRAG ON THE ASPHALT PRIOR TO STOPPING. WHEN THE FUN AND GAMES WAS THROUGH I WAS FACING LEFT 90 DEGREES OF THE RUNWAY HEADING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY. I CALLED THE TOWER AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS GOING TO SHUT DOWN AND EXAMINE THE AIRCRAFT IN THAT SPOT AND THEN GOT OUT MY CELL PHONE AND CALLED MY PARTNER AND ASKED FOR HELP TO MOVE THE PLANE. UP UNTIL I STARTED TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT FOR A TURN OFF EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE QUARTERING HEAD WIND WAS STRONGER THAN HAD EVER BEEN ATTEMPTED WITH THIS AIRCRAFT BUT PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH WINDS OF THIS STRENGTH NEVER SEEMED TO AFFECT THE LANDING ROUTINE. I HAD EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF WING LIFTING IN SEVERAL LANDINGS IN A STEARMAN BIPLANE AND SHOULD OF BEEN ON GUARD FOR THIS POSSIBILITY. HOWEVER I DID LET DOWN MY GUARD DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE LANDING. I STARTED TO THINK OF GETTING HOME BECAUSE I WAS TIRED AND JUST ASSUMED THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER UNEVENTFUL TRIP TO THE HANGAR. THE FOLLOWING DAY I CAME DOWN WITH THE FLU WHICH STAYED FOR THE TWO DAYS THAT FOLLOWED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS HELD TO THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL LEG, THE TAIL WHEEL ATTACH POINT AND TO SCRAPES IN THE FABRIC AT THE LOWER WING TIPS. SPARS, RIBS, LONGERONS, BULKHEADS AND THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT IS HANGARED IN UNIT NUMBER 16, OF THE CORSAIR CONDOS ON THE EAST SIDE OF AVIATORS LANE AT RYAN AIRFIELD. THE HANGAR IS NORMALLY CLOSED UP SO WE'LL NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU'LL BE IN THE AREA SO WE CAN MEET YOU THERE. THANKS; PETE STOGSDILL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^