Tail dragger twin engine aircraft ground loops on landing.

Attributes
ACN	276485
Time
Date	199406
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mul
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Widgeon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 3
ASRS Report	276485
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
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:

Upon landing at moultrie, GA (spence air base) I landed in a 3-POINT attitude. The aircraft started to swerve a little to right, I corrected with left brake (overcorrected), then the aircraft started a swerve to left and although the speed was fairly slow (40 mph and decreasing), the left swerve continued and resulted in the aircraft ground looping. The right wing sponson touched the ground and struts to it severed. The right wheel and brake sustained minor damage. There were no injuries. The owner of the aircraft (PIC) was occupying the right seat. This was my first landing of this aircraft. There had not been a proper discussion of the proper landing technique, and although I retained control of the aircraft throughout the landing, there was expectation that with the experienced owner (PIC) sitting in the right seat, that he would assume control, prior to any problem developing. He did not take control (although he had taken control to slip the aircraft on final) and I overctled the brakes -- wind was not a factor. Had there been a thorough discussion of takeoff and landing procedures, and a discussion of changing of control, this would not have occurred. The widgeon aircraft is a tail dragger and is quite sensitive to control inputs on takeoff and landing. There are no brakes for the right seat pilot. Both pilots highly experienced. Poor briefing and overctl were the causes. Dual controls were installed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL DRAGGER TWIN ENG ACFT GND LOOPS ON LNDG.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AT MOULTRIE, GA (SPENCE AIR BASE) I LANDED IN A 3-POINT ATTITUDE. THE ACFT STARTED TO SWERVE A LITTLE TO R, I CORRECTED WITH L BRAKE (OVERCORRECTED), THEN THE ACFT STARTED A SWERVE TO L AND ALTHOUGH THE SPD WAS FAIRLY SLOW (40 MPH AND DECREASING), THE L SWERVE CONTINUED AND RESULTED IN THE ACFT GND LOOPING. THE R WING SPONSON TOUCHED THE GND AND STRUTS TO IT SEVERED. THE R WHEEL AND BRAKE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE OWNER OF THE ACFT (PIC) WAS OCCUPYING THE R SEAT. THIS WAS MY FIRST LNDG OF THIS ACFT. THERE HAD NOT BEEN A PROPER DISCUSSION OF THE PROPER LNDG TECHNIQUE, AND ALTHOUGH I RETAINED CTL OF THE ACFT THROUGHOUT THE LNDG, THERE WAS EXPECTATION THAT WITH THE EXPERIENCED OWNER (PIC) SITTING IN THE R SEAT, THAT HE WOULD ASSUME CTL, PRIOR TO ANY PROB DEVELOPING. HE DID NOT TAKE CTL (ALTHOUGH HE HAD TAKEN CTL TO SLIP THE ACFT ON FINAL) AND I OVERCTLED THE BRAKES -- WIND WAS NOT A FACTOR. HAD THERE BEEN A THOROUGH DISCUSSION OF TKOF AND LNDG PROCS, AND A DISCUSSION OF CHANGING OF CTL, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE WIDGEON ACFT IS A TAIL DRAGGER AND IS QUITE SENSITIVE TO CTL INPUTS ON TKOF AND LNDG. THERE ARE NO BRAKES FOR THE R SEAT PLT. BOTH PLTS HIGHLY EXPERIENCED. POOR BRIEFING AND OVERCTL WERE THE CAUSES. DUAL CTLS WERE INSTALLED.

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.