What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was in traffic pattern at Reno/Tahoe int'l airport to practice landing on runway 16L. On his second landing he stated that he thought he had a slight quartering tail wind (winds were light and variable). At touchdown the aircraft appeared to by yawing to the right and the left main wheel touched in a sideward motion scraping the left side of the tire and slightly on the rim. The left wing tip dipped to impact the ground and the left tip of the horizontal stabilizer touched the ground. The left wheel axle bent approximately 30 degrees from alignment. Also, the left wing aft spar was bent slightly. The left wing tip was scraped and had an 8 inch tear. (.19) on January 5, 2002, about 1040 hours pacific standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N83517, ground looped at Reno-Tahoe airport, Reno, Nevada. The private pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal local flight departed Reno about 1020. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The federal aviation administration accident coordinator interviewed the pilot. The pilot said that he made one successful touch-and-go landing. The second touchdown was good, but he had a quartering tailwind. During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the runway and ground looped. The wing contacted the ground resulting in substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS IN TRAFFIC PATTERN AT RENO/TAHOE INT'L AIRPORT TO PRACTICE LANDING ON RUNWAY 16L. ON HIS SECOND LANDING HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD A SLIGHT QUARTERING TAIL WIND (WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE). AT TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BY YAWING TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL TOUCHED IN A SIDEWARD MOTION SCRAPING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TIRE AND SLIGHTLY ON THE RIM. THE LEFT WING TIP DIPPED TO IMPACT THE GROUND AND THE LEFT TIP OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER TOUCHED THE GROUND. THE LEFT WHEEL AXLE BENT APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES FROM ALIGNMENT. ALSO, THE LEFT WING AFT SPAR WAS BENT SLIGHTLY. THE LEFT WING TIP WAS SCRAPED AND HAD AN 8 INCH TEAR. (.19) ON JANUARY 5, 2002, ABOUT 1040 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-18-150, N83517, GROUND LOOPED AT RENO-TAHOE AIRPORT, RENO, NEVADA. THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PERSONAL LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED RENO ABOUT 1020. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ACCIDENT COORDINATOR INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE MADE ONE SUCCESSFUL TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING. THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN WAS GOOD, BUT HE HAD A QUARTERING TAILWIND. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND GROUND LOOPED. THE WING CONTACTED THE GROUND RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N83517 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.