SEA97LA135

While landing on a wet runway in his tailwheel equipped biplane, the pilot allowed the aircraft to initiate a ground loop/swerve, and his remedial action was not sufficient to execute a recovery. During the ground loop, the aircraft spun 180 degrees to the right, collapsing the main landing gear.

On June 11, 1997, approximately 1600 Pacific daylight time, a Bucker 1.131 Jungmann, N1XW, ground looped during the landing roll at Cottage Grove State Airport, Cottage Grove, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which had been airborne about 30 minutes, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.

According to the pilot, he was landing in a light rain and the runway surface was wet. In a written statement, the pilot said that, "During rollout, before brake application, a ground loop developed which I was unable to correct it in time." Although he attempted remedial action to stop the ground loop, the aircraft spun 180 degrees to the right. During the ground loop, the main gear collapsed, and the aircraft's wings impacted the pavement. NTSB records show that this pilot was involved in a ground-loop accident in the same aircraft on July 23, 1993.