NTSB Factual Report

On July 4, 2001, at 1030 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150 tail-wheel equipped airplane, N220H, was substantially damaged when it ground looped on landing at the Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport, Mount Pleasant, Texas. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo instructional flight. The local flight departed Mount Pleasant at 1020.

According to the aircraft owner, the pilot had received tail wheel endorsement training earlier that day in the accident airplane. The pilot was performing his second solo landing on runway 17 when he ground looped the airplane. The pilot reported that the wind was from 180 at 5 knots at the time of the accident.

According to the aircraft owner and an aircraft mechanic, the right spar, outboard of the wing strut, was bent up.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's inadvertent ground loop during the landing roll. A contributing factor was his lack of total experience in tail wheel-equipped airplanes.