What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 04/22/2006 at 1314 MDT, a Piper PA-25/250 pawnee (N4862Y) sustained minor damage during landing at Moriarty Airport (0E0), Moriarty, NM 87035. The aircraft is registered to albuquerque soaring club, inc., p.o. box 11254, albuquerque, NM 87192 and was being operated for glider towing by the pilot privacy data omitted a member of the albuquerque soaring club, when the incident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that had originated from the Moriarty Airport at 1255 MDT. Pilot's statement: this was the first glider tow of the day for the albuquerque soaring club. On takeoff at about 1300 hours from runway 26 at 0E0, there was a moderate 90 crosswind from the south which caused me no problems. The glider released at about 1,900 feet and I did the standard left descending turn and returned to the airport traffic pattern. On downwind I crabbed to the right to correct for the crosswind. When I turned base to final I noted that I had been blown too FAR to the right (north) and corrected by flying final on a sw path. This was my first indication that the crosswind had increased dramatically during m y short 15 minute flight. My second indication was that the windsock was now sticking straight out 90 degrees to the runway. When I reached the runway I aligned the plane to the runway. I held the left (upwind) wind low and started a three-point landing. As I flared close to the runway and was descending the left wing lifted. I got it back under control, but then the left wing lifted much faster and the right wing tip touched the runway causing damage to the fabric and the outer ribs. I taxied to our glider operations point where an initial inspection confirmed the damage. I then put the plane in its hangar and grounded it. I then checked the strength of the 90 degree crosswind & found that it was varying between 13 & 18 KTS. Our club assigned instructor also told me that he had seen dust devils in the area at the time of my landing. If I ever encounter this situation again & with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, I would elect to do a go-around and get properly aligned on final with the runway. This way I could verify the amount of wing down combined with a forward slip needed to make a successful landing. If the control authority was not sufficient to safely handle this degree of crosswind, I would drop the tow rope, declare an emergency and land into the wind on the longest taxiway which runs north-south.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 04/22/2006 AT 1314 MDT, A PIPER PA-25/250 PAWNEE (N4862Y) SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING LANDING AT MORIARTY AIRPORT (0E0), MORIARTY, NM 87035. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO ALBUQUERQUE SOARING CLUB, INC., P.O. BOX 11254, ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87192 AND WAS BEING OPERATED FOR GLIDER TOWING BY THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A MEMBER OF THE ALBUQUERQUE SOARING CLUB, WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE MORIARTY AIRPORT AT 1255 MDT. PILOT'S STATEMENT: THIS WAS THE FIRST GLIDER TOW OF THE DAY FOR THE ALBUQUERQUE SOARING CLUB. ON TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 1300 HOURS FROM RUNWAY 26 AT 0E0, THERE WAS A MODERATE 90 CROSSWIND FROM THE SOUTH WHICH CAUSED ME NO PROBLEMS. THE GLIDER RELEASED AT ABOUT 1,900 FEET AND I DID THE STANDARD LEFT DESCENDING TURN AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN. ON DOWNWIND I CRABBED TO THE RIGHT TO CORRECT FOR THE CROSSWIND. WHEN I TURNED BASE TO FINAL I NOTED THAT I HAD BEEN BLOWN TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT (NORTH) AND CORRECTED BY FLYING FINAL ON A SW PATH. THIS WAS MY FIRST INDICATION THAT THE CROSSWIND HAD INCREASED DRAMATICALLY DURING M Y SHORT 15 MINUTE FLIGHT. MY SECOND INDICATION WAS THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS NOW STICKING STRAIGHT OUT 90 DEGREES TO THE RUNWAY. WHEN I REACHED THE RUNWAY I ALIGNED THE PLANE TO THE RUNWAY. I HELD THE LEFT (UPWIND) WIND LOW AND STARTED A THREE-POINT LANDING. AS I FLARED CLOSE TO THE RUNWAY AND WAS DESCENDING THE LEFT WING LIFTED. I GOT IT BACK UNDER CONTROL, BUT THEN THE LEFT WING LIFTED MUCH FASTER AND THE RIGHT WING TIP TOUCHED THE RUNWAY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FABRIC AND THE OUTER RIBS. I TAXIED TO OUR GLIDER OPERATIONS POINT WHERE AN INITIAL INSPECTION CONFIRMED THE DAMAGE. I THEN PUT THE PLANE IN ITS HANGAR AND GROUNDED IT. I THEN CHECKED THE STRENGTH OF THE 90 DEGREE CROSSWIND & FOUND THAT IT WAS VARYING BETWEEN 13 & 18 KTS. OUR CLUB ASSIGNED INSTRUCTOR ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD SEEN DUST DEVILS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF MY LANDING. IF I EVER ENCOUNTER THIS SITUATION AGAIN & WITH THE BENEFIT OF 20/20 HINDSIGHT, I WOULD ELECT TO DO A GO-AROUND AND GET PROPERLY ALIGNED ON FINAL WITH THE RUNWAY. THIS WAY I COULD VERIFY THE AMOUNT OF WING DOWN COMBINED WITH A FORWARD SLIP NEEDED TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING. IF THE CONTROL AUTHORITY WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO SAFELY HANDLE THIS DEGREE OF CROSSWIND, I WOULD DROP THE TOW ROPE, DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND LAND INTO THE WIND ON THE LONGEST TAXIWAY WHICH RUNS NORTH-SOUTH.