What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 2, 1998, about 1230 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N9273U, was substantially damaged while landing at the greater Cumberland airport, Cumberland, Maryland. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. An inspector from the federal aviation administration (FAA), reported that the pilot had not flown recently, and had received 10 hours of dual instruction to ragain proficiency. The accident flight was the first flight following the dual instruction. The pilot had remained in the traffic pattern practicing takeoffs and landing on runway 23. The FAA inspector further added that the winds were forecast to remain light and all airplanes were using runway 23. Just after touchdown, the airplane was struck by a gust of wind from the left. The airplane departed the runway to the right, and the left wing raised up. The right wing contacted the ground and the airplane continued over and come to rest upside down. The FAA inspector reported that a check of the recorded weather at the airport revealed the winds had been less than 5 knots all day long. A 5 minute period was found where the winds were from 140 degrees with peak gusts of about 20 knots, which occurred during the time the pilot was landing. Following the guts, the winds returned to their lower previous value. Acording to the Cessna 150M owners manual, the maximum demonstrated crosswing was 13 knots. The FAA inspector reported that the pilot had a total flight time of about 200 hours. (-23) upon landing runway 23 winds gusted 12/19 mph @270 (winds calm at departure) aircraft flipped on back with no injuries. (.4) just as the airplane touched down on runway 23, there was momentary increase in the wind velocity. The pilot failed to maintain directional control and the airplane departed the runway and nosed over. The pilot with a total time of about 200 hours had a break of several years in his flying and had recently received 10 hours of dual instruction. This was his first solo flight following the dual instruction flights. The winds which had been from 270 degrees at less than 5 knots, increased to 12 knots with gusts to 20 knots for about a 5 minute period and then returned to their previous value. The FAA reported the higher winds wer e not forecast and only lasted about 5 minutes. The crosswind component of a 20 knot wind, 40 degrees from the runway was computed at 13 knots.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 2, 1998, ABOUT 1230 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150M, N9273U, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT THE GREATER CUMBERLAND AIRPORT, CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN RECENTLY, AND HAD RECEIVED 10 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION TO RAGAIN PROFICIENCY. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE DUAL INSTRUCTION. THE PILOT HAD REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDING ON RUNWAY 23. THE FAA INSPECTOR FURTHER ADDED THAT THE WINDS WERE FORECAST TO REMAIN LIGHT AND ALL AIRPLANES WERE USING RUNWAY 23. JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE WAS STRUCK BY A GUST OF WIND FROM THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT, AND THE LEFT WING RAISED UP. THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED OVER AND COME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT A CHECK OF THE RECORDED WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT REVEALED THE WINDS HAD BEEN LESS THAN 5 KNOTS ALL DAY LONG. A 5 MINUTE PERIOD WAS FOUND WHERE THE WINDS WERE FROM 140 DEGREES WITH PEAK GUSTS OF ABOUT 20 KNOTS, WHICH OCCURRED DURING THE TIME THE PILOT WAS LANDING. FOLLOWING THE GUTS, THE WINDS RETURNED TO THEIR LOWER PREVIOUS VALUE. ACORDING TO THE CESSNA 150M OWNERS MANUAL, THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWING WAS 13 KNOTS. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF ABOUT 200 HOURS. (-23) UPON LANDING RUNWAY 23 WINDS GUSTED 12/19 MPH @270 (WINDS CALM AT DEPARTURE) AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ON BACK WITH NO INJURIES. (.4) JUST AS THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 23, THERE WAS MOMENTARY INCREASE IN THE WIND VELOCITY. THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT WITH A TOTAL TIME OF ABOUT 200 HOURS HAD A BREAK OF SEVERAL YEARS IN HIS FLYING AND HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED 10 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION. THIS WAS HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE DUAL INSTRUCTION FLIGHTS. THE WINDS WHICH HAD BEEN FROM 270 DEGREES AT LESS THAN 5 KNOTS, INCREASED TO 12 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS FOR ABOUT A 5 MINUTE PERIOD AND THEN RETURNED TO THEIR PREVIOUS VALUE. THE FAA REPORTED THE HIGHER WINDS WER E NOT FORECAST AND ONLY LASTED ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT OF A 20 KNOT WIND, 40 DEGREES FROM THE RUNWAY WAS COMPUTED AT 13 KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.