The flight instructor was giving the private pilot some training in tailwheel aircraft. The pilot taxied onto the runway, lined up on the centerline and applied power for takeoff. The takeoff roll was normal until the tail wheel lifted off and the nose turned left. The flight instructor said the pilot overcorrected to the right and then back to the left. The flight instructor then got on the controls with the pilot, and, as the aircraft turned right a second time, the turn progressed into a ground loop. Subsequently, the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage and the left wing was bent.
September 5, 2009, Bozeman, Mon., Piper PA-20
The flight instructor was giving the private pilot some training in tailwheel aircraft. The pilot taxied onto the runway, lined up on the centerline and applied power for takeoff. The takeoff roll was normal until the tail wheel lifted off and the nose turned left. The flight instructor said the pilot overcorrected to the right and then back to the left. The flight instructor then got on the controls with the pilot, and, as the aircraft turned right a second time, the turn progressed into a ground loop. Subsequently, the left main landing gear separated from the fuselage and the left wing was bent.
Key Takeaways:
- During a tailwheel aircraft takeoff, the aircraft veered left after the tailwheel lifted, prompting the pilot to overcorrect.
- Despite the flight instructor's intervention, the aircraft entered a ground loop after a second right turn.
- The incident resulted in substantial damage, including the separation of the left main landing gear.
- Additionally, the aircraft's left wing was bent during the ground loop.
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