DEN06CA088

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, he was returning to the airport due to an approaching thunderstorm. The pilot entered traffic for runway 15, and while on final, noticed that the wind had shifted to favor runway 33. During the landing roll to runway 33 (3,400 feet by 60 feet, asphalt), the airplane encountered a gust of wind and the airplane ground looped. Both wings separated, the propeller was bent, and the horizontal stabilizer was crushed and wrinkled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airframe or airplane systems. The closest official weather observation station was Uninta County Airport/Burns Field (EVW), Evanston, Wyoming, located 45 nautical miles south of the accident site. The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for EVW, issued at 1053, reported, winds, 230 degrees at 25 knots, gusting 31 knots. The pilot estimated the gust of wind at 40 knots. According to the pilot, he was returning to the airport due to an approaching thunderstorm. During the landing roll the airplane encountered a gust of wind and ground looped. Both wings separated, the propeller was bent, and the horizontal stabilizer was crushed and wrinkled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airframe or airplane systems. The routine aviation weather report reported, winds, 230 degrees at 25 knots, gusting 31 knots. The pilot estimated the gust of wind at 40 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12