N3469CCessna 170B · 1954

The student pilot was practicing solo takeoff and landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard surfaced runway. At the beginning of the flight, the winds were light and variable, but during the last landing, the wind had shifted to a slight tailwind. During the landing, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The private pilot was returning to the airport after a personal local flight made under Title 14, CFR Part 91. He said while on final approach to land, he was advised by the tower of a flock of geese that took off from an adjacent waterway. During touchdown, he said a pilot waiting to takeoff reported sighting the geese, and his attention was diverted for a moment. In that moment he said the airplane started a turn to the right. He indicated he applied left rudder and power, but could not stop the turn. The pilot said the left main landing gear collapsed in the turn, and the left wing struck the ground. He noted there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear box, and the left wing during the accident.