What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot's statement: I departed kplk at approximately 15:20 hours local time (ctz) heading of 102. Picked up and id'd arg VOR 114.5. Maintained VOR flight track while climbing to 5500'. My attention was on VOR flight track, attitude, cloud avoidance, adjusting power & prop for best cruise performance and generally checking out how my new aircraft handled. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight I lost VOR indicator on 114.5 although I could still hear it on my headset when I checked. I tried my next VOR fix, jks 109.4 but still had no needle. I could id the station on my headset. I tried 114.5 again, same. I tried hor 112.5, same. At this point I tried to find my position on my sectional chart. After spending some time doing that, I decided the safest thing to do was land, check my VOR, find my location and then decide if I would proceed with the flight or not. I passed a few very small strips that did not appear to have any help available. Then I saw a larger runway with some people working in the ramp area. Seeing that I would have someone to ask for help, I set up for a left pattern landing. I noted the dead crosswind and decided to make a low landing speed pass to see if icould hold the center line of the runway. I made my approach, held the center line and climbed back to pattern altitude to prepare to land. Everything was fine on final, I had some drift but corrected for it. I touched down and was on roll out when the plane was hit by a gust of wind from the left side. The wind was strong enough to bring up my left wing a little, I do not believe it lifted the left main off the runway, and push the tail of the aircraft to the right. The tail wheel had not locked into place yet and my ground speed was too slow for the rudder to have any effect. Since the main tanks were still heavy with fuel and so FAR outboard of the gear, once the plane started to turn I was unable to stop it. The aircraft ground looped and slid off the left side of the runway. No damage to the airport landing lights or equipment took place. I turned off the engine, which was still at landing power off, turned off the electrical power and turned the fuel selector to off. I got out, walked to the ramp and asked for assistance.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT'S STATEMENT: I DEPARTED KPLK AT APPROXIMATELY 15:20 HOURS LOCAL TIME (CTZ) HEADING OF 102. PICKED UP AND ID'D ARG VOR 114.5. MAINTAINED VOR FLIGHT TRACK WHILE CLIMBING TO 5500'. MY ATTENTION WAS ON VOR FLIGHT TRACK, ATTITUDE, CLOUD AVOIDANCE, ADJUSTING POWER & PROP FOR BEST CRUISE PERFORMANCE AND GENERALLY CHECKING OUT HOW MY NEW AIRCRAFT HANDLED. APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT I LOST VOR INDICATOR ON 114.5 ALTHOUGH I COULD STILL HEAR IT ON MY HEADSET WHEN I CHECKED. I TRIED MY NEXT VOR FIX, JKS 109.4 BUT STILL HAD NO NEEDLE. I COULD ID THE STATION ON MY HEADSET. I TRIED 114.5 AGAIN, SAME. I TRIED HOR 112.5, SAME. AT THIS POINT I TRIED TO FIND MY POSITION ON MY SECTIONAL CHART. AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME DOING THAT, I DECIDED THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS LAND, CHECK MY VOR, FIND MY LOCATION AND THEN DECIDE IF I WOULD PROCEED WITH THE FLIGHT OR NOT. I PASSED A FEW VERY SMALL STRIPS THAT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY HELP AVAILABLE. THEN I SAW A LARGER RUNWAY WITH SOME PEOPLE WORKING IN THE RAMP AREA. SEEING THAT I WOULD HAVE SOMEONE TO ASK FOR HELP, I SET UP FOR A LEFT PATTERN LANDING. I NOTED THE DEAD CROSSWIND AND DECIDED TO MAKE A LOW LANDING SPEED PASS TO SEE IF ICOULD HOLD THE CENTER LINE OF THE RUNWAY. I MADE MY APPROACH, HELD THE CENTER LINE AND CLIMBED BACK TO PATTERN ALTITUDE TO PREPARE TO LAND. EVERYTHING WAS FINE ON FINAL, I HAD SOME DRIFT BUT CORRECTED FOR IT. I TOUCHED DOWN AND WAS ON ROLL OUT WHEN THE PLANE WAS HIT BY A GUST OF WIND FROM THE LEFT SIDE. THE WIND WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO BRING UP MY LEFT WING A LITTLE, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT LIFTED THE LEFT MAIN OFF THE RUNWAY, AND PUSH THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE TAIL WHEEL HAD NOT LOCKED INTO PLACE YET AND MY GROUND SPEED WAS TOO SLOW FOR THE RUDDER TO HAVE ANY EFFECT. SINCE THE MAIN TANKS WERE STILL HEAVY WITH FUEL AND SO FAR OUTBOARD OF THE GEAR, ONCE THE PLANE STARTED TO TURN I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT. THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED AND SLID OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRPORT LANDING LIGHTS OR EQUIPMENT TOOK PLACE. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WHICH WAS STILL AT LANDING POWER OFF, TURNED OFF THE ELECTRICAL POWER AND TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF. I GOT OUT, WALKED TO THE RAMP AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.