SEA02LA004

While en route to his destination the pilot discussed wind conditions with approach control, and then acquired the reported surface winds of 220 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 25 knots for the nearest reporting station to his destination. Upon arrival he executed an uneventful landing on runway 22 and then, as there was no parallel taxiway, back-taxied to the approach end of runway 22 to exit at the only taxiway available to the ramp. The pilot reported that while exiting the runway at a slow speed and with forward yoke and down aileron into the wind, a strong gust of wind caught the aircraft, rapidly swinging the nose of the aircraft to the right. During this maneuver the wind picked up the right wing and the left wingtip impacted the ground followed by the propeller. The aircraft then pivoted to an inverted position. Surface winds recorded approximately 17 minutes before the accident at stations surrounding the destination airport recorded winds from the south-southwest to west with speeds ranging from 16 to 24 knots and gusts up to 35 knots. A peak gust of 41 knots was recorded one hour and 17 minutes before the accident at a station about 42 nautical miles northeast of the site.

On October 12, 2001, approximately 1510 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150L, N18240, registered to and being flown by an airline transport rated pilot was substantially damaged during a loss of control and subsequent nose over while taxiing from landing at the Boardman airport (OR32), Boardman, Oregon. No flight plan had been filed for the flight and the pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14 CFR 91 and originated from College Place (S95), Washington, approximately 1320.

The 27,000-hour airline transport rated pilot reported that during his flight to Boardman, Oregon, he contacted Chinook approach control and discussed the wind conditions. The pilot then checked the automated surface observing system (ASOS) at Hermiston, Oregon, approximately 28 nautical miles east of the Boardman airport, and determined that the winds at Hermiston were from 220 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 25 knots. The pilot then made an uneventful landing on runway 22 at Boardman and, as the runway was not equipped with a parallel taxiway, he back-taxied to the approach end of runway 22 to exit at the only taxiway available to the ramp.

The pilot reported that as he taxied at a slow speed from the runway he held the yoke forward and the upwind aileron in the "down" position. He further reported that as he made the right turn onto the exit taxiway to the ramp "...a very strong gust of wind caught the aircraft and swung the tail so that the right turn onto the taxiway was very much sharper than intended..." and that "...the wind got under the right wing at that time and raised it...." The left wing struck the ground followed by the propeller and the aircraft then went over to an inverted position.

Surface winds for the following stations and times were reported (refer to CHART I):

The Dalles (DLS) at 1453: 290 degrees at 16 knots gusting to 21 knots

Pasco (PSC) at 1453: 220 degrees at 24 knots gusting to 35 knots

Hermiston (HRI) at 1453: 230 degrees at 20 knots gusting to 25 knots

Pendleton (PDT) at 1456: 240 degrees at 17 knots

A peak gust of 41 knots was recorded at Pasco one hour and 17 minutes before the accident.