Pitts biplane pilot lost control of aircraft while making a crosswind landing.

Attributes
ACN	410337
Time
Date	199808
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1n4
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Christen (& Pitts) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 950 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	410337
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Winds were approximately 15-20 KTS from the east. The airport closed the runway into the wind to allow banner towing operations. All other traffic had to land with 90% crosswind. (Local pilots complain this forces them to land with the crosswind, plus wind vortex off nearby trees. They also have to cross the flight path of banner planes who are hooking the banners.) I called position reports for pattern and landed on runway 1. On landing my pitts, I noticed a fair bit of turbulence from the nearby trees. I landed on about a 5% angle to cut some of the crosswind component. After landing, on the rollout, the stick was full back, but I felt the tail lifting and turning into the wind. I applied full left rudder. (Locking tailwheel was still engaged.) correction did not help at all. I was turning right and the left main collapsed. The plane went up on the nose, then fell back down. I shut off everything, noticing it had stopped running. Then exited the aircraft. I was not hurt. After going over and over the event in my mind, and talking with other pitts pilots, my only suggestion on how to have avoided the ground loop was to have not landed there! It is a very unsafe environment for any tail dragger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PITTS BIPLANE PLT LOST CTL OF ACFT WHILE MAKING A XWIND LNDG.

Narrative: WINDS WERE APPROX 15-20 KTS FROM THE E. THE ARPT CLOSED THE RWY INTO THE WIND TO ALLOW BANNER TOWING OPS. ALL OTHER TFC HAD TO LAND WITH 90% XWIND. (LCL PLTS COMPLAIN THIS FORCES THEM TO LAND WITH THE XWIND, PLUS WIND VORTEX OFF NEARBY TREES. THEY ALSO HAVE TO CROSS THE FLT PATH OF BANNER PLANES WHO ARE HOOKING THE BANNERS.) I CALLED POS RPTS FOR PATTERN AND LANDED ON RWY 1. ON LNDG MY PITTS, I NOTICED A FAIR BIT OF TURB FROM THE NEARBY TREES. I LANDED ON ABOUT A 5% ANGLE TO CUT SOME OF THE XWIND COMPONENT. AFTER LNDG, ON THE ROLLOUT, THE STICK WAS FULL BACK, BUT I FELT THE TAIL LIFTING AND TURNING INTO THE WIND. I APPLIED FULL L RUDDER. (LOCKING TAILWHEEL WAS STILL ENGAGED.) CORRECTION DID NOT HELP AT ALL. I WAS TURNING R AND THE L MAIN COLLAPSED. THE PLANE WENT UP ON THE NOSE, THEN FELL BACK DOWN. I SHUT OFF EVERYTHING, NOTICING IT HAD STOPPED RUNNING. THEN EXITED THE ACFT. I WAS NOT HURT. AFTER GOING OVER AND OVER THE EVENT IN MY MIND, AND TALKING WITH OTHER PITTS PLTS, MY ONLY SUGGESTION ON HOW TO HAVE AVOIDED THE GND LOOP WAS TO HAVE NOT LANDED THERE! IT IS A VERY UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ANY TAIL DRAGGER.

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.