NTSB Factual Report

On August 18, 1997, at 1620 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N57528, slid off the runway and collided with an airport sign following a ground loop after touchdown at Chandler, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor and the private pilot, who was being checked out in this aircraft, were not injured. The flight originated in Chandler at 1535, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

In his statement, the flight instructor reported "On the landing in question we were doing a wheel landing and (the second pilot) was using a little too much rudder in correcting on previous landings. As we touched down the aircraft started veering to the left and I told the student to straighten it out. He then added too much right rudder to correct and by the time that I could get the left rudder and a little left brake in to try and correct it, it was too late the aircraft was already starting the loop."

He then stated that the airplane proceeded to ground loop to the right off the runway. The airplane entered the dirt about 90 degrees to the runway where subsequently, the left side of the fuselage struck a runway sign.

The second pilot, a certificated private pilot had successfully completed his check ride for his certificate on July 31, 1997. He had 14.4 hours total time in the accident aircraft, 4.2 of which were flown solo. According to the copies of the second pilot's logbooks provided as an attachment to the Pilot/Operator report, the second pilot had a total of 77 landings in the accident airplane.

NTSB Probable Cause

The student's failure to maintain directional control due to excessive use of the rudder, and the instructor's delayed remedial action.