Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 31; Flight Crew Total 3600; Flight Crew Type 31
Situational Awareness
Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Aircraft; Airport; Weather; Human Factors
Landing to take on fuel. A crosswind from the left at 45 degrees was reported on AWOS. Runway in use   is 100 feet wide. Landing I lost directional control. An experienced local pilot later said that strong gusts were occurring at the time of this incident. The resulting ground loop caused the plane to exit the asphalt surface. I felt I had avoided any major damage up to that point. However; as the aircraft left the paved surface; the starboard main gear wheel sank into the dirt. This caused the nose to strike the ground. The aircraft came to a stop with the nose; starboard landing gear; and starboard wing tip supporting the aircraft with the tail about 15 feet off the ground.Major contributing factors were; gusting crosswind. [I perceived the crosswind to be manageable] however did not factor the strong gusting wind. [The lesson learned was to] pay close attention to possible gusting crosswinds. The larger vertical stabilizer on the C-180 contributed to the weather vane action of the aircraft.
C180 pilot reported a loss of control and runway excursion while landing in gusty conditions.