What happened
A private pilot was conducting a local flight when he executed a stopover landing on runway 28. During the final phase of the approach, specifically while flaring for touchdown, the pilot reported being temporarily blinded by intense glare from the setting sun positioned directly in his flight path.
Upon touchdown, the airplane weathercoicked into the right crosswind component. The pilot lost directional control of the aircraft, which subsequently ground-looped to the right. The airplane then rolled off the runway surface and came to rest in a ditch adjacent to the airfield.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the loss of directional control during the landing roll. Examination of the event timeline highlighted the environmental conditions at the time of impact, specifically the position of the sun relative to the aircraft's heading and the wind direction.