SEA02LA052

After landing and taxiing off the runway in high gusting wind conditions, a gust of wind hit the aircraft. The aircraft was pushed sidewise and the pilot attempted to position the nose of the airplane into the wind. The left wing lifted and the airplane nosed over. While in the pattern, the pilot tuned to the Automated Weather Observing System which reported a variable wind at 23 knots, gusting to 28.

On March 9, 2002, about 1400 mountain standard time, an experimental Kitfox Lite Squared, N211TE, registered to Skystar Aircraft Corp. and operated by the owner as a 14 CFR Part 91 business flight, nosed over after landing at Caldwell Industrial Airport, Caldwell, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Emmett, Idaho, about 30 minutes prior to the accident.

The pilot reported that after takeoff from Emmett, he tuned in the Automated Weather Observing System ( AWOS) for Caldwell. The winds were reported up to 25 knots and favoring runway 12. The pilot stated that when entering the pattern at Caldwell, the winds were reported from 110 degrees, variable to 210 degrees at 23 knots, gusting to 28 knots. The base to final legs were flown normally, with the windsock indicating a 10 to 20 degree crosswind from the right. After landing on runway 12, and taxiing to the hangar, a quartering tailwind gust hit the aircraft and pushed it sidewise. The pilot tried to correct by positioning the nose of the airplane into the wind, however the left wheel had lifted off the ground and the airplane was pushed to the right. The left wing lifted and the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector from the Boise, Idaho, Flight Standards District Office reported that both wing struts and four longerons were damaged.

At 1355, the weather reported at Caldwell was wind from 140 degrees at 26 knots, gusting to 34 knots.