Accident Details
The airplane ground looped during the landing rollout on runway 14. During the rollout, the wind shifted from a right quartering headwind to a right quartering tailwind, pushing the airplane to the right. The airplane subsequently ground looped, impacted a ditch, and sustained damage to the left wing approximately 3 feet inboard of the wing tip. No mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot prior to the accident.
Weather Information
Before landing, the pilot checked the automated surface observation system (ASOS) and noted the report was one hour old. The pilot then overflew the airport and observed the windsock, which indicated wind conditions 180 degrees opposite to the ASOS reading. The pilot contacted the Unicom operator, who was also the airport manager, who confirmed that the winds were blowing opposite to the ASOS indication. The pilot then proceeded to land.
The METAR reports for the airport were reviewed. At 1154, winds were from 260 degrees at 14 knots. At 1254, winds were from 300 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 15 knots, and were noted to be variable between 230 and 030 degrees during the hour.