What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Nosed over landing in gusty crosswind. Reported wind picked up a wing. Lost control with 5500 hrs in type. (.4)after towing a glider aloft and releasing it, the pilot returned to the airport and landed on runway 16R. He said the wind was reported to be from the east 'and within crosswind limits.' Upon touchdown, 'an extra strong gust appeared to hit very suddenly and unexpectedly.' The pilot used aileron and rudder in an attempt to maintain runway alignment, but the left wing, then the right wing, contacted the runway, and the airplane veered left, departed the runway, and nosed over. The pilot said the tower had received a warning for wind gusts over 25 knots at about the time he touched down, but had not had time to broadcast this information. There were 'small thunderstorms and nimbocumulus (clouds) all over the area, the nearest about 1-2 miles northeast.' According to the Bellanca 8GCBC airplane flight manual, the demonstrated crosswind velocity is 15 knots. Under the conditions reported by the pilot, the crosswind component was between 25 and 30 knots. (-23)on may 2, 1998 at 1530 MDT a Bellanca 8GCBC, N504N was substantially d amaged when it nosed over during the landing roll at the us airforce Academy airfield (afa) rw 16. The pilot stated that a very strong wing gust got under his left wing and the aircraft was controlable. The ATP rated pilot with 5500 hours in this type aircraft was not injured. Weather conditions were VMC with wind 140 to 10 gusting to 18 and a thunderstorm was reported approxiamtely 10 miles northeast of afa.
As the FAA filed it
NOSED OVER LANDING IN GUSTY CROSSWIND. REPORTED WIND PICKED UP A WING. LOST CONTROL WITH 5500 HRS IN TYPE. (.4)AFTER TOWING A GLIDER ALOFT AND RELEASING IT, THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 16R. HE SAID THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE FROM THE EAST 'AND WITHIN CROSSWIND LIMITS.' UPON TOUCHDOWN, 'AN EXTRA STRONG GUST APPEARED TO HIT VERY SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY.' THE PILOT USED AILERON AND RUDDER IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, BUT THE LEFT WING, THEN THE RIGHT WING, CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED LEFT, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT SAID THE TOWER HAD RECEIVED A WARNING FOR WIND GUSTS OVER 25 KNOTS AT ABOUT THE TIME HE TOUCHED DOWN, BUT HAD NOT HAD TIME TO BROADCAST THIS INFORMATION. THERE WERE 'SMALL THUNDERSTORMS AND NIMBOCUMULUS (CLOUDS) ALL OVER THE AREA, THE NEAREST ABOUT 1-2 MILES NORTHEAST.' ACCORDING TO THE BELLANCA 8GCBC AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL, THE DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND VELOCITY IS 15 KNOTS. UNDER THE CONDITIONS REPORTED BY THE PILOT, THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT WAS BETWEEN 25 AND 30 KNOTS. (-23)ON MAY 2, 1998 AT 1530 MDT A BELLANCA 8GCBC, N504N WAS SUBSTANTIALLY D AMAGED WHEN IT NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL AT THE US AIRFORCE ACADEMY AIRFIELD (AFA) RW 16. THE PILOT STATED THAT A VERY STRONG WING GUST GOT UNDER HIS LEFT WING AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONTROLABLE. THE ATP RATED PILOT WITH 5500 HOURS IN THIS TYPE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT INJURED. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VMC WITH WIND 140 TO 10 GUSTING TO 18 AND A THUNDERSTORM WAS REPORTED APPROXIAMTELY 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF AFA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.