What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 08/15/2026, the pilot departed at ~1500L on a proficiency flight. Field weather was VFR. Winds were 020/12 favoring runway 34 with a ~7 knot crosswind component. Pilot departed to the practice area and returned to the field ~15-20 minutes later. Upon landing, pilot reported a normal touchdown followed by a "lurch to the right" and a ground loop that took the aircraft off the runway into the grassy area. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left lower wing front spar, left main landing gear, center fuselage, lower cowling, and propeller. No damage to airport or other property was sustained and the pilot was not injured.
Pilot believes he made inadequate control inputs to counter the crosswind. He reports that it's rare to have any crosswind, but especially from the right, at this airport and that he'd become complacent. The pilot also thinks the "small cross section airfoil shaped tube to diagonally brace the gear" was not sufficient to "resist buckling under a side load" and that may have resulted in the gear collapsing during the ground loop.
While the pilot took full responsiblity for the accident, he did want to note the challenge of getting instruction in his type of aircraft. He has traveled out of state to find qualified instructors and taken flights with other pilots (not instructors) in similarly configured aircraft to get proficiency. He's eager to improve his skills and be completely proficient but notes that it is difficult with the current rules on instructing in experimental aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON 08/15/2026, THE PILOT DEPARTED AT ~1500L ON A PROFICIENCY FLIGHT. FIELD WEATHER WAS VFR. WINDS WERE 020/12 FAVORING RUNWAY 34 WITH A ~7 KNOT CROSSWIND COMPONENT. PILOT DEPARTED TO THE PRACTICE AREA AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD ~15-20 MINUTES LATER. UPON LANDING, PILOT REPORTED A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN FOLLOWED BY A "LURCH TO THE RIGHT" AND A GROUND LOOP THAT TOOK THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASSY AREA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT LOWER WING FRONT SPAR, LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, CENTER FUSELAGE, LOWER COWLING, AND PROPELLER. NO DAMAGE TO AIRPORT OR OTHER PROPERTY WAS SUSTAINED AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
PILOT BELIEVES HE MADE INADEQUATE CONTROL INPUTS TO COUNTER THE CROSSWIND. HE REPORTS THAT IT'S RARE TO HAVE ANY CROSSWIND, BUT ESPECIALLY FROM THE RIGHT, AT THIS AIRPORT AND THAT HE'D BECOME COMPLACENT. THE PILOT ALSO THINKS THE "SMALL CROSS SECTION AIRFOIL SHAPED TUBE TO DIAGONALLY BRACE THE GEAR" WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO "RESIST BUCKLING UNDER A SIDE LOAD" AND THAT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN THE GEAR COLLAPSING DURING THE GROUND LOOP.
WHILE THE PILOT TOOK FULL RESPONSIBLITY FOR THE ACCIDENT, HE DID WANT TO NOTE THE CHALLENGE OF GETTING INSTRUCTION IN HIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. HE HAS TRAVELED OUT OF STATE TO FIND QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS AND TAKEN FLIGHTS WITH OTHER PILOTS (NOT INSTRUCTORS) IN SIMILARLY CONFIGURED AIRCRAFT TO GET PROFICIENCY. HE'S EAGER TO IMPROVE HIS SKILLS AND BE COMPLETELY PROFICIENT BUT NOTES THAT IT IS DIFFICULT WITH THE CURRENT RULES ON INSTRUCTING IN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.