N347JPPiggott John H BEARHAWK · 2003

The pilot reported that during the landing in a tailwheel equipped airplane, it appeared to him that the wind was calm during the approach. Soon after landing, he reported hitting a bump in the runway along with a wind shear resulting in a loss of directional control. Despite the pilot’s control inputs, the airplane exited the runway to the right and ground looped in the runway safety area, coming to rest upright. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left-wing tip and left aileron were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The student pilot, who is also the builder and owner of the experimental amateur-built tailwheel-equipped high wing airplane, took off from his home airport, made one landing there, and then took off again to conduct some cruise performance evaluations. He then conducted one landing and takeoff at a second airport, and then practiced several takeoffs and landings at a third airport. After that, he returned for landing on runway 27 at his home airport. That runway measured 3,510 feet long by 40 feet wide. The pilot reported that the approach was normal, but the air was somewhat bumpy. The pilot said that in the flare, the airplane got a "little sideways," and the left wingtip contacted the runway. Despite the pilot's efforts to correct the situation, the airplane veered to the right, and nosed over onto its back on the grass beside the runway. The pilot was uninjured, but the airplane sustained damage to its propeller, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions of the airplane. The automated weather observation at an airport about 13 miles west of the accident airport included winds from 320 degrees at 7 knots, and an unofficial weather station in the same town as the accident airport reported similar values. The pilot reported a total flight experience of about 42 hours, including about 32 hours in the accident airplane make and model.