Incident Overview
On July 23, 2013, about 2000 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180A tailwheel-equipped airplane, registration N4814, veered right and ground-looped during landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Anchorage, Alaska. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Flight Sequence
The flight departed from Scooter's Landing Strip Airport (AK84), Sterling, Alaska, about 1930. The pilot was cleared by ANC tower to land on runway 7L and approved his request to land long on the 10,600-foot runway. He typically landed on the last 2,000 to 3,000 feet to exit near the end, but on this occasion, mindful of a Beech 1900 landing behind, he planned to land and exit about midfield. During the approach, while about 50 feet above ground, the airplane encountered jet blast from a Boeing 747 that had departed from runway 33, which intersects runway 7L near the approach end. The pilot described the jet blast as including a crosswind from the left and feeling like light to moderate turbulence with two distinct bumps.
Landing and Ground Loop
The pilot performed a wheel landing at about 75 miles per hour. Shortly thereafter, the airplane veered sharply to the right and ground-looped. Damage included the left main landing gear, fuselage, both wings, left aileron, and left elevator. The pilot reported no known mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Air Traffic Control and Environmental Factors
The landing clearance from ANC tower included a "caution, jet blast" advisory. The pilot believed that a light quartering tailwind present at the time enabled the jet blast winds from the Boeing 747 to drift eastward into the runway environment.
Pilot History
The pilot was involved in a previous ground-loop accident in the same airplane on May 23, 2006. In that accident, the airplane bounced during landing in crosswind conditions and veered to the right, also sustaining substantial damage.