No fatalities

Tailwheel Biplane Ground Loops During Landing Roll

Carlsbad, CA, United States

On November 14, 2015, a CURTISS WRIGHT Travel Air B-4000 operated by FUN FLIGHTS LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Carlsbad, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in a ground-loop, and substantial damage to the right wing and wing strut. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

A tailwheel-equipped biplane experienced a ground loop during landing, resulting in damage to the right landing gear and lower right wing. The pilot reported no mechanical issues.

Incident Overview

During the fourth landing roll of the day, the pilot of a tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that the airplane "fish tailed" to the right and directional control could not be maintained. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the left on the runway.

Damage and Sequence

The right main landing gear collapsed as a result of the ground loop, and the lower right wing struck the ground. Substantial damage was sustained to the lower right wing and wing strut.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot