Narrative:

At the moment of touchdown, the plane rolled right on the longitudinal axis, rolled back to the left and then pitched forward and came to a stop, resting on the main gear and nose. I understand that a witness observed that the initial contact was the intended 3 point landing. At the time of touchdown, I sensed no appreciable bounce. Mistakenly, I interpreted the sudden roll to the right on touchdown as a blown right tire and applied left rudder to avoid a ground loop. However, I was not conscious of using aileron to control the roll. It appears clear now that the initial roll was due to a left crosswind raising the left wing and that the forward pitch was due to wind getting under the tail. Not maintaining control through prompt application of aileron and failing to maintain up elevator during the incident were my ultimate failures. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the aircraft mainly received damage to the propeller and engine, with minor damage to the wingtip and fuselage. He realized that he needs more training in operation of tailwheel aircraft. He also added that even though he had 21 hours in this aircraft, he realizes that he had insufficient practice in lndgs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A CITABRIA AEROBATICS TAILWHEEL ACFT LOST CTL DURING LNDG RESULTING IN COMING TO REST ON THE MAIN GEAR AND NOSE. THERE WAS MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND ENG, BUT ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE.

Narrative: AT THE MOMENT OF TOUCHDOWN, THE PLANE ROLLED R ON THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS, ROLLED BACK TO THE L AND THEN PITCHED FORWARD AND CAME TO A STOP, RESTING ON THE MAIN GEAR AND NOSE. I UNDERSTAND THAT A WITNESS OBSERVED THAT THE INITIAL CONTACT WAS THE INTENDED 3 POINT LNDG. AT THE TIME OF TOUCHDOWN, I SENSED NO APPRECIABLE BOUNCE. MISTAKENLY, I INTERPED THE SUDDEN ROLL TO THE R ON TOUCHDOWN AS A BLOWN R TIRE AND APPLIED L RUDDER TO AVOID A GND LOOP. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT CONSCIOUS OF USING AILERON TO CTL THE ROLL. IT APPEARS CLR NOW THAT THE INITIAL ROLL WAS DUE TO A L XWIND RAISING THE L WING AND THAT THE FORWARD PITCH WAS DUE TO WIND GETTING UNDER THE TAIL. NOT MAINTAINING CTL THROUGH PROMPT APPLICATION OF AILERON AND FAILING TO MAINTAIN UP ELEVATOR DURING THE INCIDENT WERE MY ULTIMATE FAILURES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT MAINLY RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND ENG, WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WINGTIP AND FUSELAGE. HE REALIZED THAT HE NEEDS MORE TRAINING IN OP OF TAILWHEEL ACFT. HE ALSO ADDED THAT EVEN THOUGH HE HAD 21 HRS IN THIS ACFT, HE REALIZES THAT HE HAD INSUFFICIENT PRACTICE IN LNDGS.

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.