Event GAA17CA550

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the second touch-and-go landing, in gusting wind conditions, the "wind got under [the] left wing" and the airplane ground looped to the left. He added that, during the ground loop, he applied brakes and the airplane nosed over on the runway. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report that there were any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport, about the time of the accident, reported wind from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 20 knots. The pilot reported that the landing was on runway 35. The pilot failed to submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report. The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the second touch-and-go landing in gusting wind conditions, the "wind got under [the] left wing," and the airplane ground looped to the left. He added that, during the ground loop, he applied brakes, and the airplane nosed over on the runway. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 20 knots. The pilot reported that the landing was on runway 35. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report. 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 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