IAD99LA073

The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to practice takeoffs and landings. On the first landing, during rollout, the pilot reported that a wind gust caused a momentary loss of directional control. The pilot attempted to regain directional control of the airplane, but the right main wheel had already crossed the edge of the runway and got caught in the snow. The airplane then slowly nosed over and came to rest on the edge of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed there were no mechanical discrepancies.

On February 14, 1999, about 1300 Eastern Standard Time, a Monocoupe 110, N10730, was substantially damaged during landing rollout on Runway 29 at the Limington-Harmon Airport, Limington, Maine. The certificated private pilot/co-owner was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In a written statement, the pilot said:

"On February 14, 1999, I planned to fly in the pattern and do some take-offs and landings. The weather was cool, clear with light winds. Take-off time was approx. 12:30 EST. I flew in the pattern for about 20 minutes and was on my first landing when the accident occurred. Pattern, approach, flare and touchdown were normal. While rolling out I experienced a wind gust that caused a momentary loss of directional control. While regaining directional control, the right main wheel crossed the edge of the runway and caught in snow. The aircraft slowly nosed over and came to rest at the edge of the runway with one wing tip on the snow bank and the other on the runway."

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the propeller and the fuselage were damaged along with, the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and left wing. According to the pilot, the airplane was completely restored after the accident.

The pilot described the wind conditions at the time of the accident to an FAA inspector. According to the FAA inspector's written statement, the pilot reported that it was windy and the winds favored Runway 29.

The pilot reported 322 total flight hours, of which 174 hours were in make and model. The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

The Safety Board was notified of the accident on October 18, 2000. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot contacted the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) after the accident occurred in 1999, and left a voice mail message. However, the voice mail system was not working properly and the FAA never received the message. The pilot, after not hearing any response from the FAA, again contacted the FSDO at which time he talked with an inspector. The inspector, who is no longer employed at the FSDO, did not pursue this event as an accident for undetermined reasons. In October 2000, the co-owner of the airplane contacted the FSDO and Safety Board to obtain information about the accident for insurance purposes. At that time, it was learned there was no record of the accident, and the investigation process into this accident was initiated.