Event CEN20CA298

Factual narrative

The pilot and flight instructor conducted an instructional flight in a single-engine tailwheel airplane. The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and needed a tailwheel endorsement. After some ground instruction, they performed taxi and high-speed taxi operations in the airplane. They then flew to another airport, where they performed six take-off and landings to a full stop on a grass runway. En route back to their original airport, they stopped at another airport which had a grass runway and performed another seven takeoffs and landings. They then returned to the original airport, where the pilot completed a landing and takeoff from an asphalt runway. During the final landing to runway 34, the airplane bounced, and bounced a second time, before the airplane ground looped. The airplane came to rest inverted beside the runway, and substantial damage was noted to the airplane's empennage and wing. A review of the weather conditions about the time of the accident noted wind at 220 deg; at 5 kts. Using runway 34, the airplane would have experienced a slight quartering tailwind condition during landing. 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
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Instructor/check pilot - C
• F Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot - F