Narrative:

A couple of days before this incident; I had completed dual instruction in this tail dragger; a cessna 120; and was doing some solo flight to better familiarize myself with this aircraft. I had done some aerial sightseeing; and decided to land at a small airport; out in the countryside; to take a break. I listened to the AWOS; jotting down that winds were 040 degrees at 7 KTS. Density altitude was 2200 ft; with a field elevation of 76 ft MSL. There were several other aircraft operating in the pattern or nearby; including a parachute operation in the process of making a local drop. I had difficulty understanding the xmissions of the drop aircraft; and was uncertain of his intent or exact location. Unfortunately; I apparently allowed myself to become somewhat distraction; and did not properly process the winds information; but rather followed 2 other aircraft already in the pattern; and entered a landing pattern for runway 30. On final; I looked for; but did not see; a windsock; although I later observed that there was one; but in a different location than I was looking. I do not recall any particular difficulty in maintaining a straight approach on final; and believed that I was landing into a calm wind. I made a satisfactory normal landing; and thought that I had the aircraft firmly planted on the ground. Suddenly; however; the right wing came up from a sharp gust of wind; which caught me completely by surprise. I probably did not utilize proper aileron input at that point; with the result that the left wingtip came into contact with the ground; and the aircraft skidded to the right hand side of the runway; and onto the unpaved area alongside. I was soon able to expeditiously taxi back across the runway and into transient parking; making appropriate radio broadcasts as I did so; as there was still more landing traffic in the pattern; and I felt it would be best to get away from an active runway. I found a suitable tie down spot and secured the aircraft; providing the airport manager with a report of the circumstances. He also assisted me in inspecting the runway and recovering a wingtip light lens. The aircraft was left at the airport for further inspection and evaluate of damage; which is currently being conducted. Human performance considerations: 1) failure to properly process the AWOS information on wind direction and speed. Instead of utilizing an available runway 5; I followed the leaders in the pattern; and landed on a less appropriate runway 30. 2) failure to visually locate the windsock on final; and obtain satisfactory crosswind information by direct observation. 3) further failure to fully appreciate the information available on wind direction; which led to probable inappropriate control input when struck by a strong gust on roll-out; which lifted the right wing after touchdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C120 PILOT LANDED IN APPARENTLY CALM CONDITIONS BUT CAUGHT A WIND GUST CAUSING A WINGTIP TO CONTACT THE RWY. ACFT TAXIED TO THE RAMP.

Narrative: A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT; I HAD COMPLETED DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THIS TAIL DRAGGER; A CESSNA 120; AND WAS DOING SOME SOLO FLT TO BETTER FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THIS ACFT. I HAD DONE SOME AERIAL SIGHTSEEING; AND DECIDED TO LAND AT A SMALL ARPT; OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE; TO TAKE A BREAK. I LISTENED TO THE AWOS; JOTTING DOWN THAT WINDS WERE 040 DEGS AT 7 KTS. DENSITY ALT WAS 2200 FT; WITH A FIELD ELEVATION OF 76 FT MSL. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT OPERATING IN THE PATTERN OR NEARBY; INCLUDING A PARACHUTE OP IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A LCL DROP. I HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE XMISSIONS OF THE DROP ACFT; AND WAS UNCERTAIN OF HIS INTENT OR EXACT LOCATION. UNFORTUNATELY; I APPARENTLY ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME SOMEWHAT DISTR; AND DID NOT PROPERLY PROCESS THE WINDS INFO; BUT RATHER FOLLOWED 2 OTHER ACFT ALREADY IN THE PATTERN; AND ENTERED A LNDG PATTERN FOR RWY 30. ON FINAL; I LOOKED FOR; BUT DID NOT SEE; A WINDSOCK; ALTHOUGH I LATER OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS ONE; BUT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION THAN I WAS LOOKING. I DO NOT RECALL ANY PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING A STRAIGHT APCH ON FINAL; AND BELIEVED THAT I WAS LNDG INTO A CALM WIND. I MADE A SATISFACTORY NORMAL LNDG; AND THOUGHT THAT I HAD THE ACFT FIRMLY PLANTED ON THE GND. SUDDENLY; HOWEVER; THE R WING CAME UP FROM A SHARP GUST OF WIND; WHICH CAUGHT ME COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE. I PROBABLY DID NOT UTILIZE PROPER AILERON INPUT AT THAT POINT; WITH THE RESULT THAT THE L WINGTIP CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE GND; AND THE ACFT SKIDDED TO THE R HAND SIDE OF THE RWY; AND ONTO THE UNPAVED AREA ALONGSIDE. I WAS SOON ABLE TO EXPEDITIOUSLY TAXI BACK ACROSS THE RWY AND INTO TRANSIENT PARKING; MAKING APPROPRIATE RADIO BROADCASTS AS I DID SO; AS THERE WAS STILL MORE LNDG TFC IN THE PATTERN; AND I FELT IT WOULD BE BEST TO GET AWAY FROM AN ACTIVE RWY. I FOUND A SUITABLE TIE DOWN SPOT AND SECURED THE ACFT; PROVIDING THE ARPT MGR WITH A RPT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HE ALSO ASSISTED ME IN INSPECTING THE RWY AND RECOVERING A WINGTIP LIGHT LENS. THE ACFT WAS LEFT AT THE ARPT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND EVAL OF DAMAGE; WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING CONDUCTED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: 1) FAILURE TO PROPERLY PROCESS THE AWOS INFO ON WIND DIRECTION AND SPD. INSTEAD OF UTILIZING AN AVAILABLE RWY 5; I FOLLOWED THE LEADERS IN THE PATTERN; AND LANDED ON A LESS APPROPRIATE RWY 30. 2) FAILURE TO VISUALLY LOCATE THE WINDSOCK ON FINAL; AND OBTAIN SATISFACTORY XWIND INFO BY DIRECT OBSERVATION. 3) FURTHER FAILURE TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE INFO AVAILABLE ON WIND DIRECTION; WHICH LED TO PROBABLE INAPPROPRIATE CTL INPUT WHEN STRUCK BY A STRONG GUST ON ROLL-OUT; WHICH LIFTED THE R WING AFTER TOUCHDOWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.