Luscombe 8A N25100 accident near Prescott, Arizona

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, and his inability to recover due to a malfunction of the tailwheel.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane stated that, upon touching down in a three-point attitude, the airplane veered left. The pilot attempted to correct with rudder, but the airplane continued left and ground looped. Examination revealed that the tailwheel had rotated 180°, leaving its control chains crossed over one another. Under this condition, the tailwheel direction of movement would be opposite that commanded by the pilot. Further examination revealed that the tailwheel steering arms were bent upward, allowing the wheel to rotate past its travel stops and into the reversed condition. It is likely that, as the pilot initially lost control and the airplane began to ground loop, the wheel passed beyond its travel limits, causing the controls to become reversed, which made recovery unlikely.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR16LA017 for the full record.