Narrative:

I was landing on runway 19. Winds were about 12 KTS out of east. I turned downwind to base. Everything was ok. I expected a quick base and turn to final because of direction of winds. As I turned final, I used standard 'wing down' crosswind correction. I was on centerline and decided to carry a little extra speed on final (plus 5 KTS) and used only 20 degrees flaps instead of 30 degrees. The flare appeared normal, left wheel touched first, and aircraft touched down slightly above stall speed. The aircraft was rolling out normally for first 2 seconds, then nosewheel began shimmying and shaking violently. I raised nosewheel slightly to stop shaking. At this time speed was fairly low (15-20 KTS). When I raised nose, aircraft started going right sharply. I didn't have enough airspeed to go around before hitting sod, so I tried to regain control with full left rudder. As aircraft rolled onto sod, my main concern was stopping. Aircraft stopped about 25 ft -- no damage. Looking back, I probably should not have raised nose (at least not as much) because directional control was lost with a crosswind. Had I used full left brake and rudder, I may have been able to get plane turned before going off runway. Even though proper crosswind corrections were used throughout approach and landing, pilot must be continuously cautious of crosswind to maintain directional control until aircraft is stopped. Another factor was the crosswind component, which was at or near maximum demonstrated crosswind component for aircraft. Poor judgement and misunderstanding of nose gear, steering mechanism (springs) contributed to problem.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI TESTS HIS SKILLS IN LNDG PROC XWIND LNDG AND LOSES. RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS LNDG ON RWY 19. WINDS WERE ABOUT 12 KTS OUT OF E. I TURNED DOWNWIND TO BASE. EVERYTHING WAS OK. I EXPECTED A QUICK BASE AND TURN TO FINAL BECAUSE OF DIRECTION OF WINDS. AS I TURNED FINAL, I USED STANDARD 'WING DOWN' XWIND CORRECTION. I WAS ON CTRLINE AND DECIDED TO CARRY A LITTLE EXTRA SPD ON FINAL (PLUS 5 KTS) AND USED ONLY 20 DEGS FLAPS INSTEAD OF 30 DEGS. THE FLARE APPEARED NORMAL, L WHEEL TOUCHED FIRST, AND ACFT TOUCHED DOWN SLIGHTLY ABOVE STALL SPD. THE ACFT WAS ROLLING OUT NORMALLY FOR FIRST 2 SECONDS, THEN NOSEWHEEL BEGAN SHIMMYING AND SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I RAISED NOSEWHEEL SLIGHTLY TO STOP SHAKING. AT THIS TIME SPD WAS FAIRLY LOW (15-20 KTS). WHEN I RAISED NOSE, ACFT STARTED GOING R SHARPLY. I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPD TO GAR BEFORE HITTING SOD, SO I TRIED TO REGAIN CTL WITH FULL L RUDDER. AS ACFT ROLLED ONTO SOD, MY MAIN CONCERN WAS STOPPING. ACFT STOPPED ABOUT 25 FT -- NO DAMAGE. LOOKING BACK, I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE RAISED NOSE (AT LEAST NOT AS MUCH) BECAUSE DIRECTIONAL CTL WAS LOST WITH A XWIND. HAD I USED FULL L BRAKE AND RUDDER, I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET PLANE TURNED BEFORE GOING OFF RWY. EVEN THOUGH PROPER XWIND CORRECTIONS WERE USED THROUGHOUT APCH AND LNDG, PLT MUST BE CONTINUOUSLY CAUTIOUS OF XWIND TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL UNTIL ACFT IS STOPPED. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE XWIND COMPONENT, WHICH WAS AT OR NEAR MAX DEMONSTRATED XWIND COMPONENT FOR ACFT. POOR JUDGEMENT AND MISUNDERSTANDING OF NOSE GEAR, STEERING MECHANISM (SPRINGS) CONTRIBUTED TO PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.