Narrative:

I chose to fly a C172 on a windy day. The forecast showed gusting winds in the 20's KT range for the day. ATIS called winds 22 KTS gusting 27 KTS slightly off runway heading when I taxied. Tower cleared me for takeoff and told me the winds were gusting to 30 KTS. This was worse than the ATIS but I had just completed my run-up and decided to go. I was taking the runway for takeoff just crossing the hold short line when my nosewheel starting skipping because the wind was trying to WX vane the aircraft. The windsock showed about 30 degrees of variability from runway alignment to a right quartering crosswind. A very heavy wind gust caught my left wing and began to lift the wing and tip the aircraft forward. Within a few seconds I was off the taxiway in the grass with my engine still running pointing into the wind. Tower asked me what was going on and I told them the wind blew me off the taxiway and I needed a tug to get back in. While I was waiting for the tug I did hear tower calling winds greater than 40 KTS. Unfortunately the propeller ended up striking the ground when the aircraft tipped. It also received a minor scrape on the right wingtip. In my opinion this incident occurred because I chose to fly in bad wind conditions. This was definitely a bad decision. I was overly confident of my abilities to control this aircraft. Additionally; I believe that the unforeseen WX was a factor. I knew before the flight that the winds would be bad but they definitely exceeded anything I had seen on the forecast. I believe that the gust that tipped the airplane was probably over 40 KTS. To prevent this situation; I should have anticipated the WX would get worse and made a much more conservative decision. I also shouldn't have tried to push my own abilities or the abilities of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PILOT LOST CONTROL OF HIS AIRCRAFT AS HE TAXIED ONTO THE RUNWAY IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I CHOSE TO FLY A C172 ON A WINDY DAY. THE FORECAST SHOWED GUSTING WINDS IN THE 20'S KT RANGE FOR THE DAY. ATIS CALLED WINDS 22 KTS GUSTING 27 KTS SLIGHTLY OFF RWY HDG WHEN I TAXIED. TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF AND TOLD ME THE WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 30 KTS. THIS WAS WORSE THAN THE ATIS BUT I HAD JUST COMPLETED MY RUN-UP AND DECIDED TO GO. I WAS TAKING THE RWY FOR TKOF JUST XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN MY NOSEWHEEL STARTING SKIPPING BECAUSE THE WIND WAS TRYING TO WX VANE THE ACFT. THE WINDSOCK SHOWED ABOUT 30 DEGS OF VARIABILITY FROM RWY ALIGNMENT TO A R QUARTERING XWIND. A VERY HVY WIND GUST CAUGHT MY L WING AND BEGAN TO LIFT THE WING AND TIP THE ACFT FORWARD. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS I WAS OFF THE TXWY IN THE GRASS WITH MY ENG STILL RUNNING POINTING INTO THE WIND. TWR ASKED ME WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I TOLD THEM THE WIND BLEW ME OFF THE TXWY AND I NEEDED A TUG TO GET BACK IN. WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR THE TUG I DID HEAR TWR CALLING WINDS GREATER THAN 40 KTS. UNFORTUNATELY THE PROP ENDED UP STRIKING THE GND WHEN THE ACFT TIPPED. IT ALSO RECEIVED A MINOR SCRAPE ON THE R WINGTIP. IN MY OPINION THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE I CHOSE TO FLY IN BAD WIND CONDITIONS. THIS WAS DEFINITELY A BAD DECISION. I WAS OVERLY CONFIDENT OF MY ABILITIES TO CTL THIS ACFT. ADDITIONALLY; I BELIEVE THAT THE UNFORESEEN WX WAS A FACTOR. I KNEW BEFORE THE FLT THAT THE WINDS WOULD BE BAD BUT THEY DEFINITELY EXCEEDED ANYTHING I HAD SEEN ON THE FORECAST. I BELIEVE THAT THE GUST THAT TIPPED THE AIRPLANE WAS PROBABLY OVER 40 KTS. TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION; I SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE WX WOULD GET WORSE AND MADE A MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE DECISION. I ALSO SHOULDN'T HAVE TRIED TO PUSH MY OWN ABILITIES OR THE ABILITIES OF THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.