What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft groung looped on landing, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on March 7, 1999, at 1500 hours pacific standard time, a Cessna 180F, N345RC, ground looped while landing at Inyokern, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; however, the private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight by the owner/pilot under 14 CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated from the furnace creek airport in death valley, California, at 1400 on the afternoon of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that as he approached the airport he noticed two gliders in the traffic pattern. He radioed for a wind estimate and was told to expect winds variable at 5 knots, gusting to 10. As he came nearer to the airport, he noticed that the tetrahedron was indicating runway 33. During the approach, he applied 20 degrees flaps and reduced his airspeed over the approach end of the runway to 80 mph. He executed a wheel landing but began losing directional control. As the aircraft veered off the right side of the runway he applied power in an attempted go-around but drug his right wingtip in the process. (.4)winds were variable at 5 knots, gusting to 10, with the wind tee and windsocks indicating runway 33. The pilot executed a wheel landing but began losing directional control to the right just after touchdown. He countered with left rudder, but the aircraft began to ground loop. The aircraft swerved left and scraped the right wingtip. He then attempted a go-around, but his right wingtip struck a sign and the aircraft veered right and struck a fence.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT GROUNG LOOPED ON LANDING, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON MARCH 7, 1999, AT 1500 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 180F, N345RC, GROUND LOOPED WHILE LANDING AT INYOKERN, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY THE OWNER/PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE FURNACE CREEK AIRPORT IN DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, AT 1400 ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT HE NOTICED TWO GLIDERS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE RADIOED FOR A WIND ESTIMATE AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT WINDS VARIABLE AT 5 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 10. AS HE CAME NEARER TO THE AIRPORT, HE NOTICED THAT THE TETRAHEDRON WAS INDICATING RUNWAY 33. DURING THE APPROACH, HE APPLIED 20 DEGREES FLAPS AND REDUCED HIS AIRSPEED OVER THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY TO 80 MPH. HE EXECUTED A WHEEL LANDING BUT BEGAN LOSING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. AS THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY HE APPLIED POWER IN AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND BUT DRUG HIS RIGHT WINGTIP IN THE PROCESS. (.4)WINDS WERE VARIABLE AT 5 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 10, WITH THE WIND TEE AND WINDSOCKS INDICATING RUNWAY 33. THE PILOT EXECUTED A WHEEL LANDING BUT BEGAN LOSING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL TO THE RIGHT JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN. HE COUNTERED WITH LEFT RUDDER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO GROUND LOOP. THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED LEFT AND SCRAPED THE RIGHT WINGTIP. HE THEN ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND, BUT HIS RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK A SIGN AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED RIGHT AND STRUCK A FENCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.