Piper PA 18 N37WP accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a ground-loop and the left wing dragging the runway.

NTSB analysis

During an instructional flight in a tailwheel equipped airplane, the student pilot and flight instructor planned to stay in the traffic pattern for touch and go landing practice. During the landing rollout, the airplane started drifting to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the student pilot applied a hard correction to the right with the rudder pedals and the airplane ground looped, stopping 180 degrees from the landing direction. The flight instructor stated that he called for "my aircraft" when the student pilot made the hard correction, but the student pilot did not get off rudder pedals. Both the student pilot and flight instructor suspected that inadvertent brake application may have been applied in the heel brake equipped airplane. The flight instructor added that he did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and the winds were light during the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the left wing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA15CA148 for the full record.