On September 8, 2002, an Aviat A-1B (registration N290AM) was involved in an aviation accident near Arco, ID. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, resulting in an inadvertent ground loop. Factors include wind gusts during the period of time at which the landing took place. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft experienced a wind gust-induced ground loop during landing roll, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no flight control malfunctions.
Incident Overview
During a full-stop landing on a paved runway, the pilot executed an uneventful touchdown. However, during the landing roll, the aircraft encountered a wind gust that lifted its left wing. Despite the pilot's corrective inputs, he was unable to compensate for the sudden gust in time to prevent the aircraft from entering an inadvertent ground loop.
Damage Details
As the ground loop sequence unfolded, the left wing impacted the runway surface. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wing structure.
Pilot Statement
According to the pilot, there did not seem to be any malfunction of the aircraft's flight control system during the event.