ANC14CA089

Factual narrative

The pilot was back taxiing on the runway for departure in a tundra tire tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated he had made one takeoff from the airport earlier that day, he had checked the weather before this departure and noticed that the wind had increased slightly. There were other aircraft using the same runway and he felt confident that he could handle the wind. While back taxiing he noticed that he was using heavy braking when a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left. He stated that the brakes were too hot to hold the aircraft straight, resulting in a ground loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wing, aileron, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.The pilot stated in the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, that the large 29 inch tundra tires caused the brakes to heat up much faster than the 850 tires that he was used to. He recommended limiting downwind taxiing to short distances, and in no more than 12 knots of wind while operating with large tires. The pilot was back taxiing on the runway for departure in a tundra tire tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated he had made one takeoff from the airport earlier that day, he had checked the weather before this departure and noticed that the wind had increased slightly. There were other aircraft using the same runway and he felt confident that he could handle the wind. While back taxiing he noticed that he was using heavy braking when a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left. He stated that the brakes were too hot to hold the aircraft straight, resulting in a ground loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wing, aileron, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.The pilot stated in the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, that the large 29 inch tundra tires caused the brakes to heat up much faster than the 850 tires that he was used to. He recommended limiting downwind taxiing to short distances, and in no more than 12 knots of wind while operating with large tires. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation