Incident Details
The pilot contacted the airport tower for advisories when approximately 10 to 12 miles north of the airport. The controller cleared the pilot for a straight-in approach to runway 16. The pilot did not recall being informed of wind direction or velocity. During the landing, the pilot executed a left crosswind landing. Upon touchdown, the airplane experienced a sudden yaw to the left, known as weather vaning, which led to a ground loop. The ground loop resulted in damage to the right wing tip and the dorsal fin.
Weather Conditions
The pilot stated that surface winds were in excess of 30 knots from the left rear. The pilot observed that flags at the terminal were flying straight out, indicating strong winds. However, the official recorded winds at Gillette-Campbell County Airport at the time of the incident (1755) were clear skies with winds from 080 degrees at 10 knots.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage to the right wing tip and the dorsal fin as a result of the ground loop. No other damage was reported.