Event CEN13CA411

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, he entered the traffic pattern for runway 17. The wind was favoring runway 19, a turf runway, but he thought the recent rains may have made the runway soft. As he landed the tailwheel airplane on runway 17, the wind switched from the south to the west. The airplane turned to the southwest; he added full left rudder and added power. He was unable to stop the turn and the airplane ground looped. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, he entered the traffic pattern for runway 17. The wind was favoring runway 19, a turf runway, but he thought the recent rains may have made the runway soft. As he landed the tailwheel airplane on runway 17, the wind switched from the south to the west. The airplane turned to the southwest; he added full left rudder and added power. He was unable to stop the turn and the airplane ground looped. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• F Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation - F