What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a landing roll out on rwy 13, while performing takeoff/landing practice at Grants Pass Airport (3S8), OR, the pilot said that the airplane experienced a cross-wind from the right as the pilot was bringing the tailwheel to the rwy causing the airplane to swerve right. The pilot attempted to recover with full left rudder, right aileron down into the wind, and brake when the left wheel dropped off the rwy and causing a subsequent ground loop.
No injuries were reported.
The left wing sustained damage at the outbd rear corner; the left aileron was buckled/bent upward beginning at the outbd attach point; and the left horizontal stabilizer was buckled at mid-point just outboard of the left elevator. The damage was determined to be substantial.
The pilot stated that N9185Z has cross wind gear and a tail wheel lock but that it was not locked due to a lack of proficiency. He said that the wind had been benign leading up to the landing. He had been proficient in the use of a tail wheel lock 15 years ago.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A LANDING ROLL OUT ON RWY 13, WHILE PERFORMING TAKEOFF/LANDING PRACTICE AT GRANTS PASS AIRPORT (3S8), OR, THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A CROSS-WIND FROM THE RIGHT AS THE PILOT WAS BRINGING THE TAILWHEEL TO THE RWY CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO SWERVE RIGHT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER WITH FULL LEFT RUDDER, RIGHT AILERON DOWN INTO THE WIND, AND BRAKE WHEN THE LEFT WHEEL DROPPED OFF THE RWY AND CAUSING A SUBSEQUENT GROUND LOOP.
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THE LEFT WING SUSTAINED DAMAGE AT THE OUTBD REAR CORNER; THE LEFT AILERON WAS BUCKLED/BENT UPWARD BEGINNING AT THE OUTBD ATTACH POINT; AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS BUCKLED AT MID-POINT JUST OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT ELEVATOR. THE DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL.
THE PILOT STATED THAT N9185Z HAS CROSS WIND GEAR AND A TAIL WHEEL LOCK BUT THAT IT WAS NOT LOCKED DUE TO A LACK OF PROFICIENCY. HE SAID THAT THE WIND HAD BEEN BENIGN LEADING UP TO THE LANDING. HE HAD BEEN PROFICIENT IN THE USE OF A TAIL WHEEL LOCK 15 YEARS AGO.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.