Narrative:

I was returning from a nearby fly-in where the wind had been strong from the northwest. The unicom operator at my home field reported that the wind was 16 KTS from 270 degrees. While on crosswind leg, I verified the direction and approximately strength of the wind by looking at the windsock and planned a landing on runway 35. Since the wind was approaching the crosswind limits of this plane, a north american T-6G, I planned an approach without flaps. This procedure would make possible a safe go around should it become necessary. I had previously determined that a full flap go around is marginal at best at this altitude (5280 ft MSL). My approach speed was 90 KTS, 5 KTS higher than my normal full-flap approach speed, I floated and touched down long. I made, as planned, a 3-POINT touchdown, rolled straight, but despite heavy braking could not stop before the end of the runway. Since there is a large arroyo only a few ft beyond the north end of the runway, I initiated a left ground loop just at the end of the runway. The right main gear partially collapsed and the right wingtip dragged. There was no propeller strike and I and my passenger were not injured. A ground observer, who is also an experienced tailwheel flight instructor and former military pilot, told me that as I was landing the wind had shifted and become a quartering tailwind. I believe I was focusing on the potential problems with the crosswind and failed to appreciate how far down the runway I had flown before touchdown. On rollout, it became apparent that I could neither go around nor successfully stop on the runway. There is no question that had I not intentionally ground looped, the damage would have been substantial and the potential for injuries great.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A NORTH AMERICAN TEXAS T6 (N6) INTENTIONALLY GNDLOOPED AT THE END OF THE RWY DURING LNDG IN ORDER TO PREVENT OVERSHOOTING THE RWY AND GOING INTO ARROYO PAST THE END OF THE RWY. THE ACFT'S R WIND AND LNDG GEAR WERE DAMAGED ONLY.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A NEARBY FLY-IN WHERE THE WIND HAD BEEN STRONG FROM THE NW. THE UNICOM OPERATOR AT MY HOME FIELD RPTED THAT THE WIND WAS 16 KTS FROM 270 DEGS. WHILE ON XWIND LEG, I VERIFIED THE DIRECTION AND APPROX STRENGTH OF THE WIND BY LOOKING AT THE WINDSOCK AND PLANNED A LNDG ON RWY 35. SINCE THE WIND WAS APCHING THE XWIND LIMITS OF THIS PLANE, A NORTH AMERICAN T-6G, I PLANNED AN APCH WITHOUT FLAPS. THIS PROC WOULD MAKE POSSIBLE A SAFE GAR SHOULD IT BECOME NECESSARY. I HAD PREVIOUSLY DETERMINED THAT A FULL FLAP GAR IS MARGINAL AT BEST AT THIS ALT (5280 FT MSL). MY APCH SPD WAS 90 KTS, 5 KTS HIGHER THAN MY NORMAL FULL-FLAP APCH SPD, I FLOATED AND TOUCHED DOWN LONG. I MADE, AS PLANNED, A 3-POINT TOUCHDOWN, ROLLED STRAIGHT, BUT DESPITE HVY BRAKING COULD NOT STOP BEFORE THE END OF THE RWY. SINCE THERE IS A LARGE ARROYO ONLY A FEW FT BEYOND THE N END OF THE RWY, I INITIATED A L GND LOOP JUST AT THE END OF THE RWY. THE R MAIN GEAR PARTIALLY COLLAPSED AND THE R WINGTIP DRAGGED. THERE WAS NO PROP STRIKE AND I AND MY PAX WERE NOT INJURED. A GND OBSERVER, WHO IS ALSO AN EXPERIENCED TAILWHEEL FLT INSTRUCTOR AND FORMER MIL PLT, TOLD ME THAT AS I WAS LNDG THE WIND HAD SHIFTED AND BECOME A QUARTERING TAILWIND. I BELIEVE I WAS FOCUSING ON THE POTENTIAL PROBS WITH THE XWIND AND FAILED TO APPRECIATE HOW FAR DOWN THE RWY I HAD FLOWN BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. ON ROLLOUT, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I COULD NEITHER GO AROUND NOR SUCCESSFULLY STOP ON THE RWY. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT HAD I NOT INTENTIONALLY GND LOOPED, THE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL AND THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURIES GREAT.

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.