What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Canadian pilot ppl- privacy data omitted- pilot does not have an FAA certificate.
On August 5, 2026, at approximately 12:30 local time, the pilot in command (PIC) of an experimental van’s RV-8 experienced a ground loop during landing on runway 21 at Great Falls International Airport (gtf). The PIC was uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left main landing gear, propeller, wings, and tail. There was no reported damage to airport property. Air traffic control (ATC) actions were not contributory to the event.
Sequence of events:
The PIC reported familiarity with gtf from previous flights and noted that the reported winds were lower than typically experienced at the airport. After completing the before-landing checklist, the PIC established the approach to runway 21 but had to crab into the wind due to suspected wind shear on final. As the aircraft neared the runway, the PIC encountered a wind gust and extended the flare, resulting in excess airspeed upon touchdown.
The PIC executed a three-point landing, which he subsequently acknowledged may have been the incorrect technique under the prevailing conditions. Due to the excess speed at touchdown, the aircraft bounced and diverged from the runway centerline. In an attempt to initiate a go-around, the PIC added power and lifted the tail. During this maneuver, the left main landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to ground loop and sustain substantial damage.
Findings & causal factors:
Pilot technique: the PIC touched down with excess airspeed and utilized an improper landing attitude (three-point landing) for the conditions, leading to a bounce and subsequent loss of directional control. The pilot also had relatively low flight hours within the last year, at approximately 16 hours
Maintenance and mechanical factors: prior to the flight, the PIC performed maintenance on the aircraft's tailwheel locking pin. The PIC reported concerns that the pin was not filed down properly, which likely caused the rudder to be overly sensitive. This unverified mechanical adjustment directly contributed to the pic's inability to maintain directional control on the runway.
As the FAA filed it
CANADIAN PILOT PPL- ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^- PILOT DOES NOT HAVE AN FAA CERTIFICATE.
ON AUGUST 5, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OF AN EXPERIMENTAL VAN’S RV-8 EXPERIENCED A GROUND LOOP DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 21 AT GREAT FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (GTF). THE PIC WAS UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, PROPELLER, WINGS, AND TAIL. THERE WAS NO REPORTED DAMAGE TO AIRPORT PROPERTY. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) ACTIONS WERE NOT CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS:
THE PIC REPORTED FAMILIARITY WITH GTF FROM PREVIOUS FLIGHTS AND NOTED THAT THE REPORTED WINDS WERE LOWER THAN TYPICALLY EXPERIENCED AT THE AIRPORT. AFTER COMPLETING THE BEFORE-LANDING CHECKLIST, THE PIC ESTABLISHED THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21 BUT HAD TO CRAB INTO THE WIND DUE TO SUSPECTED WIND SHEAR ON FINAL. AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE RUNWAY, THE PIC ENCOUNTERED A WIND GUST AND EXTENDED THE FLARE, RESULTING IN EXCESS AIRSPEED UPON TOUCHDOWN.
THE PIC EXECUTED A THREE-POINT LANDING, WHICH HE SUBSEQUENTLY ACKNOWLEDGED MAY HAVE BEEN THE INCORRECT TECHNIQUE UNDER THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE EXCESS SPEED AT TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND DIVERGED FROM THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO INITIATE A GO-AROUND, THE PIC ADDED POWER AND LIFTED THE TAIL. DURING THIS MANEUVER, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND LOOP AND SUSTAIN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
FINDINGS & CAUSAL FACTORS:
PILOT TECHNIQUE: THE PIC TOUCHED DOWN WITH EXCESS AIRSPEED AND UTILIZED AN IMPROPER LANDING ATTITUDE (THREE-POINT LANDING) FOR THE CONDITIONS, LEADING TO A BOUNCE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PILOT ALSO HAD RELATIVELY LOW FLIGHT HOURS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, AT APPROXIMATELY 16 HOURS
MAINTENANCE AND MECHANICAL FACTORS: PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE PIC PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRCRAFT'S TAILWHEEL LOCKING PIN. THE PIC REPORTED CONCERNS THAT THE PIN WAS NOT FILED DOWN PROPERLY, WHICH LIKELY CAUSED THE RUDDER TO BE OVERLY SENSITIVE. THIS UNVERIFIED MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENT DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PIC'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON THE RUNWAY.