What happened
During a flight intended for tailwheel transition training, a student pilot and a certified flight instructor were performing landing practice. The flight began with the student completing an initial landing, followed by a demonstration of a wheel landing by the instructor. The student then successfully completed two additional landings with minimal assistance from the instructor.
On the fourth landing attempt of the flight, the aircraft touched down on its main gear. As the tailwheel made contact with the runway, the aircraft drifted slightly to the left of the centerline. In an attempt to correct the drift, the student pilot overcorrected, causing the airplane to veer abruptly to the right. The instructor applied full left rudder in an attempt to maintain control, but the maneuver was unsuccessful. The aircraft entered a ground loop, struck a snow bank located on the side of the runway, and subsequently nosed over.
Findings
- The student pilot's overcorrection during the landing sequence led to the loss of directional control.