Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On May 13, 2014, about 1430 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180A, N5281D, sustained substantial damage to the left wing during a ground loop at the Nampa Municipal Airport (MAN), Nampa, Idaho. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from MAN at about 1415.
The pilot reported that after an uneventful approach to the runway, he landed the tailwheel equipped airplane in a tail low, three-point landing. About 30 feet into the landing roll the airplane suddenly turned sharply to the right and ground looped. Subsequently, the landing gear collapsed and the left wing impacted the ground.
Postaccident examination of the tailwheel by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the tailwheel was heavily worn; however, it castered freely, and no anomalies were noted.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR14LA205