<< >> NASA ASRS Report 215467, July 1992

Small aircraft conventional gear aircraft has wind gust as tail settling from wheel landing. Loss of aircraft control, ground loop.

Attributes
ACN	215467
Time
Date	199207
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfm
State Reference	ME
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 915 flight time type : 55
ASRS Report	215467
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was performing takeoffs and lndgs in an small aircraft taildragger. The winds were swirling and gusting. As I was attempting my 5TH or 6TH takeoff and landing in a 40 min period a gust of wind hit me from my left side as I was lowering the tail of the small aircraft from a wheel landing confign. The wind pushed the nose of the aircraft to the left and picked up the left wing. I attempted to maintain directional control with rudder and brake inputs. However I was unable to maintain directional control and the aircraft ground looped. Actions that could have been taken to prevent the accident would have been to keep the airplane on its wheels a bit longer and to have applied power as the aircraft began to lose directional control. If the aircraft could have become airborne as it began to lose directional control I would have been able to fly out of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CONVENTIONAL GEAR ACFT HAS WIND GUST AS TAIL SETTLING FROM WHEEL LNDG. LOSS OF ACFT CTL, GND LOOP.

Narrative: I WAS PERFORMING TKOFS AND LNDGS IN AN SMA TAILDRAGGER. THE WINDS WERE SWIRLING AND GUSTING. AS I WAS ATTEMPTING MY 5TH OR 6TH TKOF AND LNDG IN A 40 MIN PERIOD A GUST OF WIND HIT ME FROM MY L SIDE AS I WAS LOWERING THE TAIL OF THE SMA FROM A WHEEL LNDG CONFIGN. THE WIND PUSHED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TO THE L AND PICKED UP THE L WING. I ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL WITH RUDDER AND BRAKE INPUTS. HOWEVER I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL AND THE ACFT GND LOOPED. ACTIONS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PREVENT THE ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE ON ITS WHEELS A BIT LONGER AND TO HAVE APPLIED PWR AS THE ACFT BEGAN TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL CTL. IF THE ACFT COULD HAVE BECOME AIRBORNE AS IT BEGAN TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL CTL I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY OUT OF THE SITUATION.

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.