Incident Details
As the pilot approached the airport for a full stop landing, he overheard another pilot who was landing on runway 8 report a tail wind during the landing sequence. The pilot then noticed that the windsock on the east end of the runway was standing straight out, indicating a wind direction that appeared to be approximately 180 degrees.
Landing Maneuver
The pilot landed on runway 26 but reported difficulty keeping the airplane aligned with the centerline. He stated, "I didn't feel at the time I stood any chance of gaining airspeed to execute a climb." Instead of attempting a go-around or risking entry into the lake on the west end of the runway, he performed a ground loop.
Weather Observations
One witness reported that immediately after the accident, the wind was coming from the northeast. The nearest weather reporting station, located 9 nautical miles southeast of the airport, recorded winds at 1549 as 180 degrees at 13 knots. At 1655, the winds were 150 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 20 knots.