LAX02LA265

The airplane veered off the runway and nosed over after encountering a 35-knot wind gust during landing rollout. According to the pilot, upon entering the airport's traffic pattern he noted the surface wind was nearly calm. Nothing unusual occurred during his approach to the runway. After touchdown the airplane encountered the wind gust, which lifted the tail. The pilot could not regain control and the airplane veered off the runway and nosed over. The pilot did not indicate that he had experienced any mechanical problem with his airplane. The pilot had flown the model of accident airplane for about 500 hours, including 6 hours during the preceding 90-day period.

On August 28, 2002, about 1830 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-22-160, N3607Z, nosed over during landing at the Ruth (uncontrolled) Airport, Ruth, California. The private pilot received a minor injury, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight was operated by the private pilot/airplane owner under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Oakland, California, about 1710.

The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that upon entering the traffic pattern he noted the surface wind was nearly calm. Nothing unusual occurred during his approach to runway 13. During the landing rollout, he encountered a 35-knot wind gust that lifted the airplane's tail upward. Thereafter, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and it veered off the runway and nosed over. The pilot did not indicate that he had experienced any mechanical problem with his airplane.

In the pilot's completed "Aircraft Accident Report" he indicated that he had flown the model of accident airplane for about 500 hours, including 6 hours during the preceding 90 days. His total flying experience was 1,239.8 hours.