N5908D

On November 1, 1998, at 1200 eastern standard time (est), a Piper PA-22-20-150, N5908D, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a ground loop event that occurred while on the initial takeoff roll. The airplane was taking off on runway 09 (3,503' X 75' dry asphalt) at the Mason-Jewett Field, Mason, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The flight was departing Mason, Michigan, at 1200 est.

The pilot said the airplane began yawing to the left as he brought it onto its main gear for takeoff. He said he over- corrected with right rudder and the airplane yawed rapidly to the right and then over-corrected to the left. According to the pilot, he caused the airplane to occillate about its yaw axis due to another over-correction. The airplane departed the runway's left edge into the grass and ground looped to the left. The pilot said "The right wheel dug into the soil on the left side of the runway and the airplane tipped up... ."

The pilot said he may have applied too much right rudder as he brought the airplane onto its main landing gear. According to the pilot, he had 19-hours in the accident airplane. He said he had about 255-hours in a homebuilt tail wheel airplane that was about the same size as the accident airplane. He said the experimental airplane had a 70-HP engine on it. The accident airplane was equipped with a 150 horse power engine. The pilot said he had about 1-hour of dual instruction in N5908D before flying it as pilot-in-command.