Ground loop in a tail dragger small aircraft. Runway excursion. Aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	207807
Time
Date	199204
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 4g5
State Reference	OH
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 : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 222 flight time type : 207
ASRS Report	207807
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation
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:

Pilot was returning from a cross country flight. Upon landing at home airport, aircraft ground looped and departed left hand side of runway. Right hand landing gear and cowling damaged. I made a high approach to land on runway 25, to allow for a practice sideslip to lose altitude, as aircraft is not equipped with flaps. Windsock indicated a light crosswind from the south. I ended the sideslip, flared and touched down in a normal 3 point attitude at 60 mph. During rollout, I encountered a wind gust from the south. The nose of the aircraft moved left from the runway centerline and the movement amplified into a ground loop situation. The aircraft exited the runway at an approximately 45 degree angle onto a soft, wet grass area and contacted a bank approximately 40 to 50 ft from left hand edge of runway. In retrospect: the landing should not have ended in this manner. Proper attention to and respect for wind gust should dictate increased vigilance on the part of the pilot with particular attention to rudder control emphasized. No personal injuries were sustained.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND LOOP IN A TAIL DRAGGER SMA. RWY EXCURSION. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: PLT WAS RETURNING FROM A XCOUNTRY FLT. UPON LNDG AT HOME ARPT, ACFT GND LOOPED AND DEPARTED L HAND SIDE OF RWY. R HAND LNDG GEAR AND COWLING DAMAGED. I MADE A HIGH APCH TO LAND ON RWY 25, TO ALLOW FOR A PRACTICE SIDESLIP TO LOSE ALT, AS ACFT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH FLAPS. WINDSOCK INDICATED A LIGHT XWIND FROM THE S. I ENDED THE SIDESLIP, FLARED AND TOUCHED DOWN IN A NORMAL 3 POINT ATTITUDE AT 60 MPH. DURING ROLLOUT, I ENCOUNTERED A WIND GUST FROM THE S. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT MOVED L FROM THE RWY CTRLINE AND THE MOVEMENT AMPLIFIED INTO A GND LOOP SITUATION. THE ACFT EXITED THE RWY AT AN APPROX 45 DEG ANGLE ONTO A SOFT, WET GRASS AREA AND CONTACTED A BANK APPROX 40 TO 50 FT FROM L HAND EDGE OF RWY. IN RETROSPECT: THE LNDG SHOULD NOT HAVE ENDED IN THIS MANNER. PROPER ATTN TO AND RESPECT FOR WIND GUST SHOULD DICTATE INCREASED VIGILANCE ON THE PART OF THE PLT WITH PARTICULAR ATTN TO RUDDER CTL EMPHASIZED. NO PERSONAL INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED.

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.