What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 18, 2020, N140AB, a Cessna model 140, s/n 15703, departed Arlington Municipal (kgky), TX at appriximately 07:20 local time, enroute to ft. worth spinks (kfws), TX, occupied by a CFI and student pilot. Weather at the time of the incident was reported by the lgky METAR as 181253Z auto 17007KT 10SM FEW024 27/23 A3005. The student pilot was receiving dual instruction in the single-engine, tail-wheel airplane. The aircraft departed runway 16. During climb-out, at approximately 1,000' MSL, the CFI noticed that the aircraft engine began running rougher than normal and applied partial carbureator heat. The engine cleared momentarily, but began to run rough again, and again, the CFI applied full carbureator heat. During the second application the engine failed to return to normal operation and the CFI assumed controls of the aircraft. At 1,200 ' MSL the CFI elected to return to kgky and notfied ATC they were returning to the airport with a malfunction. After turning toward the airport, the CFI statred that he was not confident that the engine would provide enough power to sustain level in the traffic pattern for runway 16, and elected to land downwind on runway 34. The airplane touched down approximately 1,200 from the runway threshhold. The pilot lost control of the airplane while applying cross controls, and supplemental braking on the upwind side. The aircraft experienced a ground-loop, and came to rest facing south in the grass northwest of the corner of intersection of rwy 34 and taxiway d, approximately 2,000 feet from the point of touchdown.
During inspection damage was visible to the tail wheel assembly, and substantial creasing was observed in the aircraft skin on the rear fuselage. The aircraft was last refueled with 10.0 gallons (5 gal/side) of 100LL by privacy data omitted on 7/15/2020 from avgas truck no. 4. Fuel records show that no anomolies were noted during the daily quality inspection of the fuel truck. Clean 100LL avgas was sumped from each main tank strainer drain and the engine filter drain. Logbooks were reviewed for the aircraft and all documentation was in order for the part 91 operation. A subsequent engine test run conducted on 7/22/2020 revealed no anomolies.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 18, 2020, N140AB, A CESSNA MODEL 140, S/N 15703, DEPARTED ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL (KGKY), TX AT APPRIXIMATELY 07:20 LOCAL TIME, ENROUTE TO FT. WORTH SPINKS (KFWS), TX, OCCUPIED BY A CFI AND STUDENT PILOT. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED BY THE LGKY METAR AS 181253Z AUTO 17007KT 10SM FEW024 27/23 A3005. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS RECEIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THE SINGLE-ENGINE, TAIL-WHEEL AIRPLANE. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 16. DURING CLIMB-OUT, AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000' MSL, THE CFI NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHER THAN NORMAL AND APPLIED PARTIAL CARBUREATOR HEAT. THE ENGINE CLEARED MOMENTARILY, BUT BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AGAIN, AND AGAIN, THE CFI APPLIED FULL CARBUREATOR HEAT. DURING THE SECOND APPLICATION THE ENGINE FAILED TO RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION AND THE CFI ASSUMED CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT. AT 1,200 ' MSL THE CFI ELECTED TO RETURN TO KGKY AND NOTFIED ATC THEY WERE RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT WITH A MALFUNCTION. AFTER TURNING TOWARD THE AIRPORT, THE CFI STATRED THAT HE WAS NOT CONFIDENT THAT THE ENGINE WOULD PROVIDE ENOUGH POWER TO SUSTAIN LEVEL IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 16, AND ELECTED TO LAND DOWNWIND ON RUNWAY 34. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1,200 FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHHOLD. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE APPLYING CROSS CONTROLS, AND SUPPLEMENTAL BRAKING ON THE UPWIND SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A GROUND-LOOP, AND CAME TO REST FACING SOUTH IN THE GRASS NORTHWEST OF THE CORNER OF INTERSECTION OF RWY 34 AND TAXIWAY D, APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET FROM THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN.
DURING INSPECTION DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE TO THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY, AND SUBSTANTIAL CREASING WAS OBSERVED IN THE AIRCRAFT SKIN ON THE REAR FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST REFUELED WITH 10.0 GALLONS (5 GAL/SIDE) OF 100LL BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON 7/15/2020 FROM AVGAS TRUCK NO. 4. FUEL RECORDS SHOW THAT NO ANOMOLIES WERE NOTED DURING THE DAILY QUALITY INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TRUCK. CLEAN 100LL AVGAS WAS SUMPED FROM EACH MAIN TANK STRAINER DRAIN AND THE ENGINE FILTER DRAIN. LOGBOOKS WERE REVIEWED FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND ALL DOCUMENTATION WAS IN ORDER FOR THE PART 91 OPERATION. A SUBSEQUENT ENGINE TEST RUN CONDUCTED ON 7/22/2020 REVEALED NO ANOMOLIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.