What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
VFR flight departed khnd - henderson, NV at 6:55 am, destination keko - Elko, NV. Departed VFR and obtained VFR flight following services from las vegas approach control. Once clear of las vegas airspace climbed to his initial cruise altitude of 8500 ft and proceeded on course to keko - Elko, NV. Climbed to 10500 ft for a portion of the flight for terrain avoidance. Started his decent into his destination and obtained both on board and ASOS weather information for keko which reported winds variable at 5 KTS. Initially planned for landing on runway 05 but upon his initial position call into keko there was one plane in the pattern for runway 23 and one plane departing runway 23. At that point he made the decision to land runway 23. Approaching the airport he entered a left downwind for runway 23 made a normal approach to landing.
At just before or right at touchdown he felt and observed the tail of the plane shift to the left and a rise. Attempted to correct with stick and rudder inputs but failed to get the condition corrected and the aircraft ground looped coming to a stop on the runway. Upon exiting the aircraft and assessing the situation he observed the windsock indicating the wind coming from out of the north from around 010 to 020 indicating a quartering tailwind.
I spoke with ops flm who recommneded remedial training.
As the FAA filed it
VFR FLIGHT DEPARTED KHND - HENDERSON, NV AT 6:55 AM, DESTINATION KEKO - ELKO, NV. DEPARTED VFR AND OBTAINED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES FROM LAS VEGAS APPROACH CONTROL. ONCE CLEAR OF LAS VEGAS AIRSPACE CLIMBED TO HIS INITIAL CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 8500 FT AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE TO KEKO - ELKO, NV. CLIMBED TO 10500 FT FOR A PORTION OF THE FLIGHT FOR TERRAIN AVOIDANCE. STARTED HIS DECENT INTO HIS DESTINATION AND OBTAINED BOTH ON BOARD AND ASOS WEATHER INFORMATION FOR KEKO WHICH REPORTED WINDS VARIABLE AT 5 KTS. INITIALLY PLANNED FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 05 BUT UPON HIS INITIAL POSITION CALL INTO KEKO THERE WAS ONE PLANE IN THE PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 23 AND ONE PLANE DEPARTING RUNWAY 23. AT THAT POINT HE MADE THE DECISION TO LAND RUNWAY 23. APPROACHING THE AIRPORT HE ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 23 MADE A NORMAL APPROACH TO LANDING.
AT JUST BEFORE OR RIGHT AT TOUCHDOWN HE FELT AND OBSERVED THE TAIL OF THE PLANE SHIFT TO THE LEFT AND A RISE. ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH STICK AND RUDDER INPUTS BUT FAILED TO GET THE CONDITION CORRECTED AND THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED COMING TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT AND ASSESSING THE SITUATION HE OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK INDICATING THE WIND COMING FROM OUT OF THE NORTH FROM AROUND 010 TO 020 INDICATING A QUARTERING TAILWIND.
I SPOKE WITH OPS FLM WHO RECOMMNEDED REMEDIAL TRAINING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.