What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman had just recently completed the flight review. He also wanted to obtain currency in a tail wheel aircraft after a 6 year span. He coordinated with a friend who was a flight instructor and was privacy data omitted of the aircraft involved in this accident. The instructor conducted a preflight brief to include the flight and landing charistics of the C-170. Once the brief was complete, the pilot and instructor took off from the phoenix-Mesa gateway (iwa) airport. During the first landing, the aircraft exhibited a typical landing charistic of "hopping" at the moment of touchdown. The pilot response is to apply a slight down elevator to put some downward force on the landing gear. As the aircraft continued to slow down, the aircraft began a slow yaw to the left. The pilot applied a minimal right rudder (typical for this aircraft) to correct the yaw. When this did not correct the yaw, the pilot applied another minimal right rudder correction. Again, this did not correct the left yaw. The pilot again applied right rudder to which the aircraft began a rapid right yaw and then the aircraft began to enter a ground loop condition. At this point, the left landing gear broke in the middle of the gear leg. The aircraft then descended on the broken left gear leg. The left wing then struck the pavement causing the substancial damage to the left wing. The aircraft then yawed to the left and came to a stop. There were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN HAD JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED THE FLIGHT REVIEW. HE ALSO WANTED TO OBTAIN CURRENCY IN A TAIL WHEEL AIRCRAFT AFTER A 6 YEAR SPAN. HE COORDINATED WITH A FRIEND WHO WAS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE INSTRUCTOR CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT BRIEF TO INCLUDE THE FLIGHT AND LANDING CHARISTICS OF THE C-170. ONCE THE BRIEF WAS COMPLETE, THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR TOOK OFF FROM THE PHOENIX-MESA GATEWAY (IWA) AIRPORT. DURING THE FIRST LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITED A TYPICAL LANDING CHARISTIC OF "HOPPING" AT THE MOMENT OF TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT RESPONSE IS TO APPLY A SLIGHT DOWN ELEVATOR TO PUT SOME DOWNWARD FORCE ON THE LANDING GEAR. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A SLOW YAW TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT APPLIED A MINIMAL RIGHT RUDDER (TYPICAL FOR THIS AIRCRAFT) TO CORRECT THE YAW. WHEN THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE YAW, THE PILOT APPLIED ANOTHER MINIMAL RIGHT RUDDER CORRECTION. AGAIN, THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE LEFT YAW. THE PILOT AGAIN APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER TO WHICH THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A RAPID RIGHT YAW AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ENTER A GROUND LOOP CONDITION. AT THIS POINT, THE LEFT LANDING GEAR BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GEAR LEG. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DESCENDED ON THE BROKEN LEFT GEAR LEG. THE LEFT WING THEN STRUCK THE PAVEMENT CAUSING THE SUBSTANCIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT THEN YAWED TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO A STOP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
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 N9534A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.