Narrative:

I was pilot in command and sole occupant of an american champion aircraft model 8KCAB. Weather conditions in ZZZ were VFR; cavu; wind from 160 degrees; at 25 KTS gusting to 30 KTS. I was taxiing from runway 17 back to the hangar at the completion of flight. Taxiing was challenging; but manageable. Another aircraft was under tow ahead of me on taxiway a and the tower offered me a clearance to taxi on runway 26. I accepted and was cleared onto runway 26 to continue taxi westbound. After approximately 1;000 ft of taxi along the runway; a wind gust lifted the left (upwind) wing despite my control efforts to counteract it. The left main wheel came off the runway; the right wingtip contacted the runway and the tail rose uncontrollably. The aircraft then pivoted counterclockwise into the wind. Before I could reestablish elevator authority; and lower the tail; the propeller impacted the runway. Both propeller blades were heavily damaged and the engine was subjected to a sudden stoppage. The propeller spinner and lower cowl sustained impact and scraping damage. After the aircraft stopped; I advised the tower by radio; secured the engine and electrical switches; and closed the firewall fuel valve. I then exited the aircraft and stood clear. There was no smoke or fire. The aircraft remained nose-up on the propeller spinner and main wheels. I had been strapped in with the 5-point aerobatic harness and was not injured during the incident or egress. Airport personnel arrived within minutes. We lowered the tail and using wing walkers towed the aircraft clear of the runway to the hangar. The steady state wind during taxi had been from directly off the left wing (I taxied past a runway windsock) and I speculate that the wind gust that raised the wing may have come from behind the wing and simply overwhelmed the aileron and elevator positioning I was holding at the time. This incident might have been avoided if I had discontinued practicing landings perhaps 20 minutes earlier before the wind began to gust above 30 KTS. I also think pilots of high wing tail-draggers should call for wing walkers and/or tow when taxiing gets uncomfortable; say when the winds rise to around 30 KTS or more. As a CFI; I will now make that a training point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Citabria 8KCAB pilot had a prop strike after losing control of the aircraft while taxiing in a gusty quartering tailwind situation.

Narrative: I was Pilot in Command and sole occupant of an American Champion Aircraft Model 8KCAB. Weather conditions in ZZZ were VFR; CAVU; wind from 160 degrees; at 25 KTS gusting to 30 KTS. I was taxiing from Runway 17 back to the hangar at the completion of flight. Taxiing was challenging; but manageable. Another aircraft was under tow ahead of me on Taxiway A and the Tower offered me a clearance to taxi on Runway 26. I accepted and was cleared onto Runway 26 to continue taxi westbound. After approximately 1;000 FT of taxi along the runway; a wind gust lifted the left (upwind) wing despite my control efforts to counteract it. The left main wheel came off the runway; the right wingtip contacted the runway and the tail rose uncontrollably. The aircraft then pivoted counterclockwise into the wind. Before I could reestablish elevator authority; and lower the tail; the propeller impacted the runway. Both propeller blades were heavily damaged and the engine was subjected to a sudden stoppage. The propeller spinner and lower cowl sustained impact and scraping damage. After the aircraft stopped; I advised the Tower by radio; secured the engine and electrical switches; and closed the firewall fuel valve. I then exited the aircraft and stood clear. There was no smoke or fire. The aircraft remained nose-up on the propeller spinner and main wheels. I had been strapped in with the 5-point aerobatic harness and was not injured during the incident or egress. Airport personnel arrived within minutes. We lowered the tail and using wing walkers towed the aircraft clear of the runway to the hangar. The steady state wind during taxi had been from directly off the left wing (I taxied past a runway windsock) and I speculate that the wind gust that raised the wing may have come from behind the wing and simply overwhelmed the aileron and elevator positioning I was holding at the time. This incident might have been avoided if I had discontinued practicing landings perhaps 20 minutes earlier before the wind began to gust above 30 KTS. I also think pilots of high wing tail-draggers should call for wing walkers and/or tow when taxiing gets uncomfortable; say when the winds rise to around 30 KTS or more. As a CFI; I will now make that a training point.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.