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GAA17CA209

2017-03-28 · St. Petersburg, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SPG

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot receiving instruction’s overcorrection with rudder during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.

Factual narrative

The pilot receiving instruction in a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll the airplane turned left and he "over corrected with too much right rudder". He added that the airplane ground looped, exited the runway to the right, and came to rest in a nose down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot was receiving instruction in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. He reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane turned left and that he "over corrected with too much right rudder." He added that the airplane ground looped, exited the runway to the right, and came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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-Student/instructed pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-Rudder control system-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Student/instructed pilot - C
  • F Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot - F

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2017_GAA17CA209.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers