Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in the left wing impacting the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot of the vintage, tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the wind was gusty and variable in direction for the flight in the airport traffic pattern. The pilot reported asking air traffic control to land on runway 13 and was told by the controller that winds were “all over the place.” The pilot then elected to continue to land on runway 5, the runway currently in use. After performing a normal 3-point landing, the airplane began to weathervane to the right and the right wing raised up, resulting in the left wing impacting the runway, substantially damaging it. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A weather observation taken about 7 minutes prior to the accident reported the wind was from 100° at 16 knots, gusting to 23 knots. The crosswind component for runway 5 was calculated to be about 12 knots from the right, with the gust crosswind component reaching about 18 knots from the right. The crosswind component for runway 13 was calculated to be about 8 knots from the left, with the gust crosswind component reaching about 11 knots from the left.