What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During a landing at Jean Airport, NV, this homebuilt airplane experienced a ground loop that caused the left landing gear to collapse and damage to the left wing and propeller. The pilot, who was the owner/builder of the airplane, had made several successful touch and go landings prior to the full stop landing wherein the accident occurred. However, he used a wheel landing technique on all these landings and may not have allowed the tail wheel to touch down during the touch and go landings. The last landing was an intentional full stop landing. When the pilot lowered the tail wheel to the runway during the landing rollout at about 30 knots, the tail wheel developed a high frequency shimmy followed by a swerve to the right. The pilot was unable to correct this excursion even with the application of left braking. The airplane pivoted on the right landing gear causing the left gear to collapse and fold under the airplane, followed by the left wing hitting the pavement. The goal of this flight prior to the landings at Jean was to conduct various stability tests with the aircraft CG near the center of the CG envelope. Prior tests had been performed near the CG forward limit. This flight had 22 lbs attached to aft fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING A LANDING AT JEAN AIRPORT, NV, THIS HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A GROUND LOOP THAT CAUSED THE LEFT LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND PROPELLER. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE OWNER/BUILDER OF THE AIRPLANE, HAD MADE SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS PRIOR TO THE FULL STOP LANDING WHEREIN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HOWEVER, HE USED A WHEEL LANDING TECHNIQUE ON ALL THESE LANDINGS AND MAY NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE TAIL WHEEL TO TOUCH DOWN DURING THE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE LAST LANDING WAS AN INTENTIONAL FULL STOP LANDING. WHEN THE PILOT LOWERED THE TAIL WHEEL TO THE RUNWAY DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT AT ABOUT 30 KNOTS, THE TAIL WHEEL DEVELOPED A HIGH FREQUENCY SHIMMY FOLLOWED BY A SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THIS EXCURSION EVEN WITH THE APPLICATION OF LEFT BRAKING. THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED ON THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR CAUSING THE LEFT GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND FOLD UNDER THE AIRPLANE, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT WING HITTING THE PAVEMENT. THE GOAL OF THIS FLIGHT PRIOR TO THE LANDINGS AT JEAN WAS TO CONDUCT VARIOUS STABILITY TESTS WITH THE AIRCRAFT CG NEAR THE CENTER OF THE CG ENVELOPE. PRIOR TESTS HAD BEEN PERFORMED NEAR THE CG FORWARD LIMIT. THIS FLIGHT HAD 22 LBS ATTACHED TO AFT FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.