N4949N

On March 3, 2001, about 1030 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182Q, N4949N, registered to Civil Air Patrol, Inc., experienced a loss of directional control on landing and nosed over at the Melbourne International Airport, Melbourne, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1 hour earlier from the Merritt Island Airport, Cocoa, Florida.

The pilot stated that after takeoff the flight proceeded to Melbourne International Airport where he visually flew several practice instrument approaches to the runway; the approaches terminated with touch-and-go landings. The last approach before the accident landing was visually flown using the instrument landing system (ILS); he intended on terminating the approach with a touch-and-go landing. The airplane was landed on the runway centerline about 65 knots and he retracted the flaps then advanced the throttle when a "...gust of wind picked up the wing and turned aircraft 30 degrees to the left." He applied aileron and rudder input which lowered the wing but did not correct the heading. He reduced the throttle when the airplane departed the runway; the nosewheel and fork assembly separated from the airplane after colliding with upsloping terrain associated with a water retention ditch. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest approximately 100 feet from the ditch. He further stated that he could not recall if he had aileron input applied during the landing roll to counter the crosswind.

A special METAR weather observation taken approximately 10 minutes after the accident indicates in part that the wind was from 210 degrees at 12 knots; no gusts were reported.

Postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed no discrepancies with the flight control cables for pitch or roll; impact damage precluded check of the rudder flight control cables. Additionally, the brakes and tires were checked with no discrepancies noted.