LAX95LA317

Factual narrative

On August 30, 1995, at 1530 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N91008, ground looped on landing at Yuma, Arizona. The aircraft was owned and operated by the private pilot, who purchased the aircraft that morning. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. Neither the private pilot nor the commercial pilot/flight instructor onboard were injured. The flight originated at Tucson, Arizona, on the day of the accident at 1200 as a combined cross-country delivery and dual instructional flight for the new owner. In a telephone interview, the new owner stated that he took delivery of the aircraft that morning and hired a flight instructor to accompany him back to his home airport because he had no experience in conventional gear aircraft. The pilot said the instructor was talking him through a landing on runway 17 and shortly after touchdown the aircraft began veering to the right. The instructor applied a left rudder correction and the aircraft ground looped to the left. The aircraft incurred structural damage to the right wing spar. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER STATED THAT HE TOOK DELIVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT THAT MORNING AND HIRED A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TO ACCOMPANY HIM BACK TO HIS HOME AIRPORT BECAUSE HE HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN CONVENTIONAL GEAR AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SAID THE INSTRUCTOR WAS TALKING HIM THROUGH A LANDING ON RUNWAY 17 AND SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN VEERING TO THE RIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR APPLIED A LEFT RUDDER CORRECTION AND THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12