Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors were the gusty crosswinds.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot encountered forecast gusty crosswind conditions during landing. He stated that on short final a gust of wind forced the airplane down and to the right. He attempted to recover; however, the right wing and right main gear collided with trees and the airplane flipped inverted.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 6, 1993, at approximately 1730 central daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N6381B, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and the ground during approach to a private strip near Killeen, Texas. The airplane, flown by a private pilot, was on a personal flight from Hamilton, Texas. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Neither the pilot nor the one passenger were injured. The pilot stated that while he was on short final for runway 30, with 30 degrees of flaps and 65 knots of airspeed, he encountered a gust of wind that "caused the airplane to drop 20 feet and was blown 50 feet to the right of the center line." He further stated that he estimated the winds as being from the right at about 40 to 45 degrees off the runway heading at between 5 and 10 knots. The pilot said that he attempted to level the right wing and add power, but the wing and the right main gear struck the trees and the airplane flipped inverted into the ground. The pilot had received from ATC the local weather observation from a location about 5 miles northwest of the strip. The observation reported the winds as being from 040 degrees at 19 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The pilot also reported that local residents told him after the accident that they had a "severe" gust pass through the area at the time of the landing. -