What happened
A certificated airline transport pilot was performing practice touch-and-go landings on runway 17 in a tailwheel airplane. During the sequence, the pilot was accompanied by a rated passenger in the right seat who was not a certificated flight instructor. The pilot noted that at the time of the accident, he had inadvertently failed to meet the specific pilot-in-command requirements for operating a tailwheel aircraft.
Immediately following touchdown, the aircraft began to veer to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the heading by applying left rudder, but the deviation continued. As the aircraft reached the edge of the runway, the pilot applied the brakes. The left wheel lost traction while traveling over loose gravel, whereas the right wheel maintained traction. This imbalance caused the airplane to undergo a ground loop to the right. During this maneuver, the left wing, aileron, and left elevator struck the runway surface, resulting in substantial damage to those components.
Weather conditions at the time of the event were reported as varied, with a METAR at 1153 indicating winds from 159 degrees at 7 knots, though previous reports indicated winds from 090 degrees at 9 knots.