NTSB Factual Report

On June 24, 2012, about 1030 mountain daylight time, a Burleigh Bearhawk amateur built airplane, N117Z, ground looped during the landing roll at the Heber City Municipal Airport, Heber City, Utah. The pilot, who additionally owned the airplane, was operating it under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airline transport pilot and two passengers were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed from Heber City about 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot stated that after a 30-minute local flight he returned back to the airport to land. Shortly after touchdown and during the landing roll, the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar.

The pilot further stated that he believed that he lost controllability due to a tailwheel malfunction. He noted that he had experienced prior problems with the tailwheel shimmying.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector performed an examination of the wreckage and found no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure with the landing gear system. He noted that if there was some shimmy or it had spun around, it would still be possible to control the airplane.

A routine aviation weather report (METAR) for Provo Municipal Airport, Provo, Utah, about 20 miles from the accident on a bearing of about 220 degrees, reported that the wind was from 100 degrees at 4 knots about 20 minutes after the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.