A TAILWHEEL ACFT GND LOOPED IN A XWIND.

Narrative

FLYING FROM REAR SEAT IN TAILWHEEL ACFT. ASPHALT RWY. WIND ABOUT 8 KTS PER WINDSOCK; 6 KTS PER TWR. VARIABLE FROM ABOUT 20 DEGS TO THE L OF CTRLINE AHEAD TO 20 DEGS TO L OF CTRLINE AT REAR. WHEN MADE CONTACT FOR GOOD 3 POINT LNDG; TAILWHEEL SHIMMY WHEN STICK HELD TO REAR WAS EXPERIENCED. AS PRESSURE RELEASED FROM STICK; ACFT BEGAN TO TURN TO L INTO WIND. R RUDER APPLIED FOR CORRECTION. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS WAS AT THE POINT WHERE TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE IS NEITHER FLYING NOR DRIVING. CTL FORCES WERE INSUFFICIENT TO PREVENT GND LOOP. R SPRING STEEL LNDG GEAR STRUT BENT INWARD ABOVE WHEEL DUE TO TRACTION OF TIRE ON ASPHALT. ACFT ROTATED ABOUT 90 DEGS TO THE L. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ AND SEEN; THIS IS A RISK INHERENT IN TAILWHEEL ACFT. I HAD PREVIOUSLY NOTICED THE TAILWHEEL SHIMMY; BUT IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY BY TIGHTENING THE LUG NUT AT THE END OF THE AXLE. I ELECTED TO USE RUDDER AND NOT APPLY PWR. ON GRASS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE. BETTER VISIBILITY AND MORE FORWARD CTR OF GRAVITY FROM FRONT SEAT MAY HAVE HELPED. THE XWIND WAS WELL WITHIN THE COMPONENT. HOWEVER; THE SHIFTING NATURE OF SAME CLOSE TO THE GND APPARENTLY WAS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE UNCTLABILITY TO COME AT A MOST INOPPORTUNE MOMENT. IN RETROSPECT; PWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDED AND TAIL RAISED AT FIRST TAILWHEEL SHIMMY.