What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was perforning touch and go landings when it ground looped and flipped over after landing, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on January 10, 1999, at 1519 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18A-150, N8980D, ground looped after landing on runway 11R at the Tucson internationl airport, Tucson, Arizona. The aircraft, operated by sun west aviation, inc., sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor and private pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local instructional flight and no flight plan was filed. Reported winds at the time of the accident were from 360 degrees at 4 knots. In an interview with the safety board, the flight instructor reported that the private pilot was receiving a tail dragger checkout. He stated that this was the first flight in a tail dragger for the private pilot. The flight instructor said that he briefed the private pilot on the maneuvers that they would be performing. He also told the pilot to "stay off the brakes" on the landing. He reported that they did a preflight and no mechanical anomalies were noted. He stated that he had the private pilot perform some power on and power off stalls with nothing unusual noted. The flight instructor stated that all maneuvers were performed satisfactorily. The instructor reported that before coming into land, he reminded the student that he should not use the brakes on landing. He stated that there were no discrepancies noted with the approach and landing. On the landing rollout the aircraft had a slight move to the left and then a "violent right turn." The flight instructor reported that he put in full left rudder, but the aircraft continued to exit the right side of the runway and subsequently ground looped. (.4) the private pilot was receiving his first flight in a conventional geared aircraft. The instructor had informed him before takeoff that when they were coming in to land that he needed to stay off the heel brakes. On the landing rollout, the aircraft made a slight turn to the left and the student applied right rudder to correct the divergence. The airplane then made an abrupt turn to the right. Both student and instructor applied full left rudder to counteract the right turn but could not regain directional control before the airplane ground looped. The brake system was inspected with no mechanical malfunctions noted.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS PERFORNING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WHEN IT GROUND LOOPED AND FLIPPED OVER AFTER LANDING, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JANUARY 10, 1999, AT 1519 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-18A-150, N8980D, GROUND LOOPED AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 11R AT THE TUCSON INTERNATIONL AIRPORT, TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY SUN WEST AVIATION, INC., SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. REPORTED WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 360 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SAFETY BOARD, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS RECEIVING A TAIL DRAGGER CHECKOUT. HE STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT IN A TAIL DRAGGER FOR THE PRIVATE PILOT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT HE BRIEFED THE PRIVATE PILOT ON THE MANEUVERS THAT THEY WOULD BE PERFORMING. HE ALSO TOLD THE PILOT TO "STAY OFF THE BRAKES" ON THE LANDING. HE REPORTED THAT THEY DID A PREFLIGHT AND NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. HE STATED THAT HE HAD THE PRIVATE PILOT PERFORM SOME POWER ON AND POWER OFF STALLS WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL NOTED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT ALL MANEUVERS WERE PERFORMED SATISFACTORILY. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT BEFORE COMING INTO LAND, HE REMINDED THE STUDENT THAT HE SHOULD NOT USE THE BRAKES ON LANDING. HE STATED THAT THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED WITH THE APPROACH AND LANDING. ON THE LANDING ROLLOUT THE AIRCRAFT HAD A SLIGHT MOVE TO THE LEFT AND THEN A "VIOLENT RIGHT TURN." THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE PUT IN FULL LEFT RUDDER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO EXIT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY GROUND LOOPED. (.4) THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS RECEIVING HIS FIRST FLIGHT IN A CONVENTIONAL GEARED AIRCRAFT. THE INSTRUCTOR HAD INFORMED HIM BEFORE TAKEOFF THAT WHEN THEY WERE COMING IN TO LAND THAT HE NEEDED TO STAY OFF THE HEEL BRAKES. ON THE LANDING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT AND THE STUDENT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER TO CORRECT THE DIVERGENCE. THE AIRPLANE THEN MADE AN ABRUPT TURN TO THE RIGHT. BOTH STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER TO COUNTERACT THE RIGHT TURN BUT COULD NOT REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BEFORE THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED. THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS INSPECTED WITH NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.