Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to compensate for the crosswind. A factor was the crosswind.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
While attempting to land on a private airstrip with a crosswind exceeding 10 knots, the tail of the airplane came up and the airplane nosed over coming to rest in the inverted position. The pilot did not report any maintenance anomalies prior to the accident.
Source record
Factual narrative
On March 11, 1993, at approximately 1030 central standard time, a Grumman G164 airplane, N634U, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at a private airstrip near Goodwin, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local agricultural application flight. The operator stated that the airplane completed a local fertilizer application flight, and was returning to land at his private airstrip. According to the pilot, the windsock at the airstrip indicated that the winds were variable from the north at an estimated speed of 15 knots. Since the strip is oriented east and west, he elected to land with a right crosswind on runway 27. The pilot further stated that a normal wheel landing was made using standard crosswind landing techniques. While rolling on the main landing wheels, the tail came up very rapidly and the airplane nosed over coming to rest in the inverted position. The pilot denied any brake or flight control anomalies prior to the accident. -