Event LAX98LA069

Factual narrative

On January 12, 1998, at 1358 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 195A, N1073D, ground looped during landing at Ryan Field, Tucson, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the certified flight instructor and the student pilot were not injured. The aircraft was owned and operated by the student pilot for a dual instructional flight. The aircraft departed Ryan Field for the local flight at 1335. At the request of the Safety Board, a Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector examined the aircraft. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left main landing gear, left wing, aft fuselage/empennage, and left horizontal stabilizer. Additionally, the left main landing fuselage attachment fitting tore through the cabin structure forward of the pilot position. According to an oral statement given to the inspector, the flight instructor stated that they had completed approximately six takeoffs and landings on runway 5L. He said the wind began to favor runway 24 and the tower advised them to switch to runway 24R. After they had landed for the third time on Runway 24R, a gust of wind from the right made the aircraft turn quickly toward the right. The CFI stated that the student pilot responded quickly with the opposite rudder, with no apparent results. The flight instructor said he got on the controls and reached for the throttle to add power in an attempt to help regain directional control of the aircraft, however, "the student's right hand was gripping the throttle tightly and I was physically unable to add power." He said the aircraft continued in a right turn with an increasing side load. The left main tire dug into the soft dirt and the left gear collapsed and folded under the fuselage. The CFI was instructing the student pilot on takeoffs and landings, which they had completed several uneventfully. The control tower advised them to change their landings to runway 24R, due to a wind shift. According to the student pilot, the winds were about 300 degrees at 8-10 knots, gusting to about 15 knots. They were rolling out from their landing when a gust of wind made the airplane turn to the right. The CFI stated that the student pilot responded quickly with the opposite rudder, with no apparent results. The flight instructor said he got on the controls and reached for the throttle to add power in an attempt to help regain directional control of the aircraft, however, 'the student's right hand was gripping the throttle tightly and I was physically unable to add power.' The airplane left the runway with a side load, which collapsed the left gear. The airplane dropped off into a 4-foot embankment and came to a sudden stop at the bottom of the embankment. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12