What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 22, 2020 at 1918 local time, a tailwheel equipped Cessna CE-182A aircraft, N5179D, registered to a flight school and operated by an airline transport rated pilot, received substantial damage during loss of control and subsequent ground loop on landing runway 27 Ionia County Airport (Y70), Ionia, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and single passenger were not injured. The local flight originated from the Ionia County Airport approximately on hour prior to the accident.
According to the pilot, he and his passenger were out training to ?get the feel of the aircraft? As it had just come out of a total rebuild a few weeks prior to the accident flight. During this rebuild, the aircraft was converted to a conventional tailwheel landing gear aircraft by the installation of a supplemental type certificate (STC). During the accident flight the pilot states he performed a number of maneuvers including stalls, turns, and ils/gps approaches. On the last landing, the pilot states, everything was going fine until the tailwheel touched the runway and started to shimmy. The aircraft started to drift left of centerline then the pilot applied right rudder and the aircraft responded by drifting to the right and passing the centerline over correcting. At this time the pilot applied full left rudder and states the rudder pedal seemed to lock in place but was unsure if it was his reaction or a mechanical issue with the rudder system. As the aircraft veered left the landing gear became side loaded and the tail came around over 180 degrees. During the accident sequence the right wing dipped and struck the runway surface with the aircraft coming to rest just off the south side of the runway. Once all motion ceased, the pilot was able to taxi the aircraft back to the hangar with no issues reported in the steering of the tailwheel or rudder.
Photographs show impact damage to the right wing leading edge, tip, and skin. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator also show impact damage including buckling of the elevator skin. The right main landing gear tire and wheel show mud impaction. No other part of the aircraft appears damaged including the propeller tips. There is no evidence of fire. The ELT did not deploy.
The flight school mechanics inspected the tailwheel and rudder control assemblies and reported no mechanical defects were found.
Weather report at Y70, 222315Z, 08003KT, 10SM, sct 075, 20/14, A29.99.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 22, 2020 AT 1918 LOCAL TIME, A TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA CE-182A AIRCRAFT, N5179D, REGISTERED TO A FLIGHT SCHOOL AND OPERATED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT GROUND LOOP ON LANDING RUNWAY 27 IONIA COUNTY AIRPORT (Y70), IONIA, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND SINGLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE IONIA COUNTY AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY ON HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE AND HIS PASSENGER WERE OUT TRAINING TO ?GET THE FEEL OF THE AIRCRAFT? AS IT HAD JUST COME OUT OF A TOTAL REBUILD A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. DURING THIS REBUILD, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONVERTED TO A CONVENTIONAL TAILWHEEL LANDING GEAR AIRCRAFT BY THE INSTALLATION OF A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE (STC). DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT THE PILOT STATES HE PERFORMED A NUMBER OF MANEUVERS INCLUDING STALLS, TURNS, AND ILS/GPS APPROACHES. ON THE LAST LANDING, THE PILOT STATES, EVERYTHING WAS GOING FINE UNTIL THE TAILWHEEL TOUCHED THE RUNWAY AND STARTED TO SHIMMY. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DRIFT LEFT OF CENTERLINE THEN THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND THE AIRCRAFT RESPONDED BY DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AND PASSING THE CENTERLINE OVER CORRECTING. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER AND STATES THE RUDDER PEDAL SEEMED TO LOCK IN PLACE BUT WAS UNSURE IF IT WAS HIS REACTION OR A MECHANICAL ISSUE WITH THE RUDDER SYSTEM. AS THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT THE LANDING GEAR BECAME SIDE LOADED AND THE TAIL CAME AROUND OVER 180 DEGREES. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE THE RIGHT WING DIPPED AND STRUCK THE RUNWAY SURFACE WITH THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO REST JUST OFF THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. ONCE ALL MOTION CEASED, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE HANGAR WITH NO ISSUES REPORTED IN THE STEERING OF THE TAILWHEEL OR RUDDER.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE, TIP, AND SKIN. THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR ALSO SHOW IMPACT DAMAGE INCLUDING BUCKLING OF THE ELEVATOR SKIN. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE AND WHEEL SHOW MUD IMPACTION. NO OTHER PART OF THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS DAMAGED INCLUDING THE PROPELLER TIPS. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE. THE ELT DID NOT DEPLOY.
THE FLIGHT SCHOOL MECHANICS INSPECTED THE TAILWHEEL AND RUDDER CONTROL ASSEMBLIES AND REPORTED NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE FOUND.
WEATHER REPORT AT Y70, 222315Z, 08003KT, 10SM, SCT 075, 20/14, A29.99.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.