Cessna 182 N2465G accident near North Platte, Nebraska

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot in the high-performance, tailwheel-equipped airplane, he accomplished a normal wheel landing on the asphalt runway in light-and-variable wind conditions. He reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel settled to the runway and began a "violent shimmy." The airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground looped to the left. The right wing and the elevator struck the ground. The pilot taxied the airplane to parking.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the elevator.

The pilot reported that, shortly after the accident, he retrieved a metal clamp from the airport, which he believed was on the runway during the time of the accident.

The accident airplane was originally manufactured with tricycle landing gear and was converted to a tailwheel-equipped airplane.

A Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector examined the airplane's tailwheel assembly, including the tire and the wheel, for evidence that a clamp had gotten caught in the tailwheel assembly. He reported that there were no signs of any scarring to the wheel, tire, or steering assembly. There were no signs of tire damage from skidding, and the tailwheel's control cables were intact. He reported that "there [was] no visible sign of any sort [that] this tailwheel was operated any way other than what it is designed for, and there is not any physical sign it was ever not following the [inputs] from the pilot."

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA17CA508 for the full record.