What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1) Description: the pilot of Stinson L-5 , registered as N178, was conducting proficiency flights at kssf (Stinson municipal airport). Winds were 160/09 with some slightly higher gusts. He made a normal approach and wheel landing on runway 14 and allowed the aircraft to slow before lowering the tail. Once all three wheels were on the ground, the aircraft began to veer right into the cross wind. The pilot applied left full rudder and brake but the aircraft veered further right in a ground loop, with the left wing and elevator contacting the runway. The pilot continued to brake as the aircraft departed the right edge of runway 14 and nosed over into the dirt between runways 14 and 09. Once the aircraft stopped, the pilot secured the fuel and electrical switches and assisted the passenger as they both exited the aircraft. The damage to the aircraft included broken outer spars in the left wing, fabric damage to the left elevator, and rotational damage to the propeller. The passenger sustained a slight wrist injury from bracing himself on the cockpit crossbar located between the front and rear seats. The pilot had the appropriate tailwheel signoff and was current in accordance with 14 CFR 61.31, 61.57, and 61.56.
2) Causal or contributing factors: see block 43
3) Recommendations for systemic action to reduce risk of future occurence: encourage clubs/organizations/instructors to conduct thorough checkouts in all tailwheel aircraft as each is different and has unique handling characteristics
4) Comments: see block 43
As the FAA filed it
1) DESCRIPTION: THE PILOT OF STINSON L-5 , REGISTERED AS N178, WAS CONDUCTING PROFICIENCY FLIGHTS AT KSSF (STINSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT). WINDS WERE 160/09 WITH SOME SLIGHTLY HIGHER GUSTS. HE MADE A NORMAL APPROACH AND WHEEL LANDING ON RUNWAY 14 AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO SLOW BEFORE LOWERING THE TAIL. ONCE ALL THREE WHEELS WERE ON THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VEER RIGHT INTO THE CROSS WIND. THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT FULL RUDDER AND BRAKE BUT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED FURTHER RIGHT IN A GROUND LOOP, WITH THE LEFT WING AND ELEVATOR CONTACTING THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO BRAKE AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT EDGE OF RUNWAY 14 AND NOSED OVER INTO THE DIRT BETWEEN RUNWAYS 14 AND 09. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED, THE PILOT SECURED THE FUEL AND ELECTRICAL SWITCHES AND ASSISTED THE PASSENGER AS THEY BOTH EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDED BROKEN OUTER SPARS IN THE LEFT WING, FABRIC DAMAGE TO THE LEFT ELEVATOR, AND ROTATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SLIGHT WRIST INJURY FROM BRACING HIMSELF ON THE COCKPIT CROSSBAR LOCATED BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR SEATS. THE PILOT HAD THE APPROPRIATE TAILWHEEL SIGNOFF AND WAS CURRENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH 14 CFR 61.31, 61.57, AND 61.56.
2) CAUSAL OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SEE BLOCK 43
3) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC ACTION TO REDUCE RISK OF FUTURE OCCURENCE: ENCOURAGE CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS/INSTRUCTORS TO CONDUCT THOROUGH CHECKOUTS IN ALL TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT AS EACH IS DIFFERENT AND HAS UNIQUE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS
4) COMMENTS: SEE BLOCK 43
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 N178 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.