What happened
During a flight instruction session, the pilot attempted a three-point landing, which resulted in the Cessna (type not specified) bouncing. Upon the second touchdown, the aircraft immediately veered toward the right side of the runway. The flight instructor intervened by taking control and applying full left rudder; however, the aircraft exited the right side of the runway and entered a ground loop.
There were no injuries reported in the incident.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the tail wheel steering assembly identified that the two chains and springs responsible for controlling the tail wheel steering contained approximately 1.5 inches of slack. Additionally, investigators found that a carabiner was being used to hold the steering chain together. According to maintenance personnel, these components should be sufficiently tight to provide the pilot with positive steering control. Maintenance records showed the aircraft had flown approximately 4 flight hours since its last major rebuild.