On October 24, 1992, a Cessna 305A (registration N1832) operated by Daniel J. Sweeney was involved in an aviation accident near Prescott, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING ROLL RESULTING IN A GROUND LOOP SWERVE. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported a ground loop after landing when overcorrection with right rudder caused the airplane to veer right. The landing was initially normal with a three-point touchdown on the runway centerline.
Incident Description
According to the pilot's written statement, he contacted the FAA local controller and received instructions to enter left traffic for landing. The pilot reported that he had set the airplane's flaps to 30 degrees and crossed the runway threshold at 80 miles per hour. After crossing the threshold, he slowly reduced the engine power to idle. The airplane touched down in a three-point attitude approximately 1,000 feet from the beginning of the runway and on the centerline.
After touchdown, the airplane began turning to the left. The pilot applied right rudder to correct the turn. He stated that he overcorrected when applying right rudder, causing the airplane to ground loop to the right.