What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was doing a series of touch and go landings at Grand Junction, Colorado when left rudder cable separated from the swedged end fitting. The pilot applied pressure to rudder during landing. Pedal went to the floor and the aircraft ground looped damaging left wing, wing strut, main gear and tail wheel. There were no injuries to the pilot, and no passengers were on board. (.4) on January 13, 2002, at approximately 1515 mountain standard time, a Maule M-5-235C, N382X, was substantially damaged during a ground loop on landing roll at Grand Junction, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The pilot was operating the airplane under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight which had originated approximately 45 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan. The pilot said that during a touch and go landing, he heard a "bang." The left rudder pedal went to the floor, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The left wing was bent up for the outboard 12 feet of the wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane's left tail wheel steering cable revealed that a swaged attachment had separated.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS DOING A SERIES OF TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO WHEN LEFT RUDDER CABLE SEPARATED FROM THE SWEDGED END FITTING. THE PILOT APPLIED PRESSURE TO RUDDER DURING LANDING. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED DAMAGING LEFT WING, WING STRUT, MAIN GEAR AND TAIL WHEEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, AND NO PASSENGERS WERE ON BOARD. (.4) ON JANUARY 13, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1515 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A MAULE M-5-235C, N382X, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A GROUND LOOP ON LANDING ROLL AT GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT WHICH HAD ORIGINATED APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD NOT FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, HE HEARD A "BANG." THE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT. THE LEFT WING WAS BENT UP FOR THE OUTBOARD 12 FEET OF THE WING. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT TAIL WHEEL STEERING CABLE REVEALED THAT A SWAGED ATTACHMENT HAD SEPARATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.