SEA02LA041

While landing on a 30 foot-wide runway in steady crosswind conditions, the aircraft encountered an unexpected gust of wind. Although the pilot tried to correct for the unfavorable wind conditions, his attempts to do so were not adequate to keep the aircraft from departing the side of the runway. After departing the runway surface, the aircraft encountered a swampy area, and nosed over in about nine inches of water. The pilot later realized that wind funneling between buildings and trees located alongside the runway had created a funnel effect that produced areas of crosswind gusts.

On February 15, 2002, at 1220 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 180, N2434C, nosed over during the landing roll at Pacific City State Airport, Pacific City, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 pleasure flight, which departed McMinnville, Oregon, about 30 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation.

According to the pilot, while he was on final, he could tell that there was a fairly constant crosswind of a little over 10 knots, accompanied by "...some light turbulence." When the aircraft was about 30 feet above the ground, the pilot felt "...the burble caused by the wind disturbed by buildings and trees, but no gusts." A few moments after touching down on the centerline of the 30 foot-wide runway, the aircraft was hit by "a strong gust of wind," and veered toward the right side of the runway. Although the pilot attempted to correct for the unfavorable wind conditions, his attempts to do so were not adequate, and the aircraft ultimately departed the right side of the runway. After leaving the runway surface, the aircraft encountered an adjacent swampy area and nosed over in about nine inches of water.

The pilot later stated that immediately after the accident, he realized that the openings between the buildings and trees had caused a "funnel effect," which resulted in limited areas of gusty winds across the runway surface.