Incident Details
A flight instructor was providing instruction to a private pilot for a tail wheel endorsement. The student pilot had successfully completed three touch-and-go landings without incident. During the fourth landing, as the airplane touched down, the student pilot began to apply right rudder.
Sequence of Events
The flight instructor immediately applied opposite rudder and brake to maintain control and shouted, “my plane, my plane.” The student pilot continued to fight the instructor on the rudder pedals. The instructor then said, “let it go!” The instructor maintained control of the airplane on the runway using the brake pedal, as evidenced by skid marks. However, his seat then failed, causing him to slide aft. With the instructor displaced, the student pilot continued to apply right rudder. The airplane ground-looped to the right, impacting the ground and buckling the wings and fuselage.
Aircraft Damage
The ground loop resulted in substantial damage to the airplane, including buckled wings and fuselage. No preexisting anomalies were noted with the airframe or flight controls.