NTSB Factual Report

On July 20, 2001, at 1740 eastern daylight time, a Stinson 108-1, N8212K, was substantially damaged when it ground-looped during a landing at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE), Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the flight, between Mount Pleasant-Scottsdale Airport (P45), Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and Latrobe. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, the landing on runway 05 was "pretty normal." However, during the rollout, he had trouble maintaining directional control and the airplane started to ground-loop to the right. The pilot applied the left brake, but with insufficient force to straighten out the airplane. The airplane skidded, the left wheel collapsed, and the left wing was damaged.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot also reported to him that upon touchdown, he felt a gust of wind come from the right rear of his airplane, which lifted the right wing. He attempted to compensate by applying right aileron and left brake; however, his efforts were too late and the airplane ground looped to the right. As the airplane turned to the right, it was on its left main landing gear only. The left main landing gear then collapsed, and the left wing and propeller contacted the runway.

The airplane had undergone a 3-year renovation, completed approximately 15 flight hours prior to the accident. The pilot had five recent dual instructional flights, and received his biennial flight review sign-off on June 24, 2001.

The FAA inspector reported the winds at the time of the accident as being light and variable, from the southeast at less than 6 knots. The pilot reported the winds as being from 140 degrees, at 4 to 6 knots.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane which resulted in the inadvertent ground loop.