PA20 pilot lost control of aircraft when landing in a crosswind.

Attributes
ACN	521225
Time
Date	200108
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : psc.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : psc.tower tracon : a11.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Piper Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 350 flight time total : 1250 flight time type : 4.5
ASRS Report	521225
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Ferrying aircraft back to pasco, wa. Very little time in type. Winds were reported by tower at 180 degrees at 9 KTS, I believe. Approach seemed normal but just at/after touchdown aircraft started to oscillate directionally. Attempted to recover, was unable. We ground looped to the right, rotated a complete 360 degrees, came to a stop on the south side of the runway, just off the pavement. After the occurrence the wind was clearly shifting from almost calm to a direct crosswind at approximately 15 KTS (estimates). It was reported as being like that all day. Myself, I gained a greater appreciation for the landing characteristics. It also would have been very helpful to know about the shifting winds (I would have landed elsewhere). Human factors issues: very little tailwheel time and very little time in type.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA20 PLT LOST CTL OF ACFT WHEN LNDG IN A XWIND.

Narrative: FERRYING ACFT BACK TO PASCO, WA. VERY LITTLE TIME IN TYPE. WINDS WERE RPTED BY TWR AT 180 DEGS AT 9 KTS, I BELIEVE. APCH SEEMED NORMAL BUT JUST AT/AFTER TOUCHDOWN ACFT STARTED TO OSCILLATE DIRECTIONALLY. ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER, WAS UNABLE. WE GND LOOPED TO THE R, ROTATED A COMPLETE 360 DEGS, CAME TO A STOP ON THE S SIDE OF THE RWY, JUST OFF THE PAVEMENT. AFTER THE OCCURRENCE THE WIND WAS CLRLY SHIFTING FROM ALMOST CALM TO A DIRECT XWIND AT APPROX 15 KTS (ESTIMATES). IT WAS RPTED AS BEING LIKE THAT ALL DAY. MYSELF, I GAINED A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THE LNDG CHARACTERISTICS. IT ALSO WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW ABOUT THE SHIFTING WINDS (I WOULD HAVE LANDED ELSEWHERE). HUMAN FACTORS ISSUES: VERY LITTLE TAILWHEEL TIME AND VERY LITTLE TIME IN TYPE.

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.