What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot?s statement. "Since the covid-19 virus, my flying has been limited. I've had a difficult time scheduling my plane's annual. Upon recently getting a confirmation date of January 4, 2021, I felt I needed to get somewhat current again. Friday morning, December 18, 2020 I decided to do some touch and goes. It was a nice morning with a slight breeze out of the south. I did my pre-flight and taxied to runway 15. Following my run-up and final checks, I observed the windsock still light and variable but out of the southwest, I departed 15, flew the pattern and did an uneventful touch and go. Upon climbout I decided to circle the town of Albion. Following my flight around town, I returned to the airport, entering a left downwind, base and final for 15. Upon touching down with a wheel landing, I felt the rear of the plane move to my left, forcing the nose to go to the right, the plane bounced once, ground looped, then skidded off the runway. Upon reaching the grass, the left main gear buckled under, forcing the prop and left wing to impact the ground. I exited the plane through the opened pilot's door and noticed some papers which had fallen out of the open door were blowing away to the south. That was my first indication that the winds had switched to the north. Weather data later showed that the winds went from calm, 36 minutes before the accident, to out of the south-west and eventually out of 320 degrees, four minutes following the accident."
Pilot failed to notice a wind shift that occurred between his first and second patterns. Wind changed from light and variable to tailwind.
Counseling conducted by NTSB investigator privacy data omitted. No additional action planned.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT?S STATEMENT. "SINCE THE COVID-19 VIRUS, MY FLYING HAS BEEN LIMITED. I'VE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SCHEDULING MY PLANE'S ANNUAL. UPON RECENTLY GETTING A CONFIRMATION DATE OF JANUARY 4, 2021, I FELT I NEEDED TO GET SOMEWHAT CURRENT AGAIN. FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 2020 I DECIDED TO DO SOME TOUCH AND GOES. IT WAS A NICE MORNING WITH A SLIGHT BREEZE OUT OF THE SOUTH. I DID MY PRE-FLIGHT AND TAXIED TO RUNWAY 15. FOLLOWING MY RUN-UP AND FINAL CHECKS, I OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK STILL LIGHT AND VARIABLE BUT OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST, I DEPARTED 15, FLEW THE PATTERN AND DID AN UNEVENTFUL TOUCH AND GO. UPON CLIMBOUT I DECIDED TO CIRCLE THE TOWN OF ALBION. FOLLOWING MY FLIGHT AROUND TOWN, I RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, ENTERING A LEFT DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL FOR 15. UPON TOUCHING DOWN WITH A WHEEL LANDING, I FELT THE REAR OF THE PLANE MOVE TO MY LEFT, FORCING THE NOSE TO GO TO THE RIGHT, THE PLANE BOUNCED ONCE, GROUND LOOPED, THEN SKIDDED OFF THE RUNWAY. UPON REACHING THE GRASS, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR BUCKLED UNDER, FORCING THE PROP AND LEFT WING TO IMPACT THE GROUND. I EXITED THE PLANE THROUGH THE OPENED PILOT'S DOOR AND NOTICED SOME PAPERS WHICH HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE OPEN DOOR WERE BLOWING AWAY TO THE SOUTH. THAT WAS MY FIRST INDICATION THAT THE WINDS HAD SWITCHED TO THE NORTH. WEATHER DATA LATER SHOWED THAT THE WINDS WENT FROM CALM, 36 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, TO OUT OF THE SOUTH-WEST AND EVENTUALLY OUT OF 320 DEGREES, FOUR MINUTES FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT."
PILOT FAILED TO NOTICE A WIND SHIFT THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN HIS FIRST AND SECOND PATTERNS. WIND CHANGED FROM LIGHT AND VARIABLE TO TAILWIND.
COUNSELING CONDUCTED BY NTSB INVESTIGATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NO ADDITIONAL ACTION PLANNED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.