On June 18, 2006, a Piper PA-22-135 (registration N1270C) was involved in an aviation accident near Nebraska City, NE. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout and the resulting ground loop. A contributing factor was the excessive tail wheel steering (rudder) input by the pilot. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During landing rollout, a pilot lost directional control after experiencing tail wheel chatter, leading to a ground loop that substantially damaged the airplane.
Accident Details
The airplane sustained substantial damage when the pilot lost directional control during the landing rollout. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped, causing the left wing to contact the ground and the left main landing gear to collapse.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported flying a normal downwind to final approach, with a very good touchdown followed by the start of a smooth rollout. He stated that the tail wheel began to wobble (chatter) and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. As the airplane reached the edge of the runway, he added engine power and applied rudder correction to return to the runway centerline. The pilot noted, "Too much right rudder started the ground loop which finished with the airplane having turned 180 degrees." When the airplane came to rest, the left wing was down in the dirt with the left main landing gear folded under the airplane.
Aircraft Condition
The pilot noted no malfunctions with the airplane. He also commented that more patience with the tail wheel chatter may have prevented the overcontrolling which led to the ground loop.