Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot's loss of control while landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot stated that he thought that a gust of wind caught the tailwheel-equipped airplane just before touchdown, resulting in the right main landing gear wheel hitting the runway hard, which drove the wheel hub up into the strut. The airplane ground looped and nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. After the accident, the pilot stated that, if he had recognized the wind gust sooner, he could have initiated a go-around. He also reported that, if he had known that the wheel hub broke during touchdown, he would have increased the throttle to keep the front of the airplane elevated.
Source record
Factual narrative
The student pilot was practicing landings in his tail wheeled airplane. The wind was calm and the first eight landings were normal. On the ninth landing, the pilot thought that a gust of wind caught the airplane just before touch down, resulting in the right wheel hitting the runway hard which drove the wheel hub up into the strut. The airplane subsequently ground looped and flipped over inverted. After the accident, the pilot stated that if he would have recognized the wind gust sooner, he could have initiated a go-around. He also reported that if he would have known that the wheel hub broke, he would have increased the throttle to keep the front of the airplane elevated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing.