N75MZ

On June 27, 1998, at 1500 hours mountain standard time, a Zimmerman Kitfox 4-1200, N75MZ, ground looped on landing at the private Goldfield Ranch Airport, Fountain Hills, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the private pilot and passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. The personal flight originated at the Mesa, Arizona, airport about 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported that the windsock on the south end of the airport showed the wind was coming from a direction of 200 degrees at a velocity of 8-10 mph. After touchdown on runway 18, a right crosswind gust caused the aircraft to veer to the right. The pilot reported that he applied full left rudder, right aileron and up elevator, and added power. He reported that the aircraft continued to swerve to the right and was weather vaning. The right main tire left the ground and the tail wheel was skipping. As the aircraft departed the right side of the landing area, the right wing contacted a tree and the landing gear and left wing tip impacted a berm along the edge of the landing area. The aircraft flipped over inverted and continued to slide about 20 feet down to the bottom of the ravine on the edge of the runway.

The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the aircraft prior to the accident.