GA small aircraft pilot lost control of tail dragger and ground-looped on landing in a crosswind.

Attributes
ACN	172757
Time
Date	199103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dal airport : zzz
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 580
ASRS Report	172757
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Pleasure flying an small aircraft, high wing tail dragger. Just prior to takeoff, I thought the winds were close to excessive, but decided to go flying anyway. The takeoff was normal for the winds, but I decided to return to the airport shortly and not fly anymore. On landing, the aircraft responded normally for the crosswind and I thought I had everything under control. Just prior to stopping, the aircraft encountered a gust from the left and started to ground loop (right wing down). I countered with the controls, but not before the right wing tip had impacted the ground. Some damage was done to the wing tip and right main gear. This was obviously a situation where my ego had gotten the best of my common sense. I really thought I could handle those conditions, and quickly found out I couldn't.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT LOST CTL OF TAIL DRAGGER AND GND-LOOPED ON LNDG IN A CROSSWIND.

Narrative: PLEASURE FLYING AN SMA, HIGH WING TAIL DRAGGER. JUST PRIOR TO TKOF, I THOUGHT THE WINDS WERE CLOSE TO EXCESSIVE, BUT DECIDED TO GO FLYING ANYWAY. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL FOR THE WINDS, BUT I DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT SHORTLY AND NOT FLY ANYMORE. ON LNDG, THE ACFT RESPONDED NORMALLY FOR THE XWIND AND I THOUGHT I HAD EVERYTHING UNDER CTL. JUST PRIOR TO STOPPING, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A GUST FROM THE LEFT AND STARTED TO GND LOOP (RIGHT WING DOWN). I COUNTERED WITH THE CTLS, BUT NOT BEFORE THE RIGHT WING TIP HAD IMPACTED THE GND. SOME DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE WING TIP AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A SITUATION WHERE MY EGO HAD GOTTEN THE BEST OF MY COMMON SENSE. I REALLY THOUGHT I COULD HANDLE THOSE CONDITIONS, AND QUICKLY FOUND OUT I COULDN'T.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.