Pitts S-2 All Series
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100; Flight Crew Total 9500; Flight Crew Type 1500
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Human Factors
I was giving takeoff and landing dual instruction in my Pitts and we departed the runway and ground looped the aircraft. We were using a runway that is 4500' long and 75' wide asphalt surface. The winds were out of the north at less than 5 kts (my estimate). The student and I had flown together previously many times about two years earlier when he was wanting to buy a Pitts and get a tailwheel endorsement. His Pitts was being rebuilt and was expected to be returned to him in a couple of weeks. He wanted to get some refresher training before he got in his single seat Pitts alone. We completed a flight staying (0.6 hours) in the pattern focusing on takeoffs and landings. We debriefed the first flight; rested an hour or so then loaded up for another flight in the pattern doing takeoffs and landings. The landing preceding the ground loop resulted in a go around initiated and flown by me due a poor landing rollout by the student. The final landing approach and touchdown were uneventful but the student began drifting to the right and did not respond to verbal commands to correct the situation. I assumed control of the aircraft and verbally announced this to the student per our briefed procedure. I believe the student unwittingly applied right rudder then right brake and I could not overcome his panicked application of rudder and brake before departing the runway at about a 30-45 degree angle. The aircraft ground looped at a slow speed in the grass. The left lower wing contacted the ground and the tailwheel broke off. I taxied the aircraft out of the grass and to the ramp area. I did not realized the tailwheel had sheared off but thought the left tire wheel assembly was damaged and made the taxiing difficult. I have been giving dual in Pitts aircraft for years and have never experienced an unrecoverable landing. I believe the students panicked and possible unknowing application of right rudder/brake led to the runway departure and subsequent ground loop. While I emphasize positive transfer of control and accidental application of brake when feet are on the rudder during every preflight brief I will highlight it more. The proximity of the rudder bar and brake is such that accidental application of brake is not uncommon while intending to apply rudder only. I believe the student inadvertently applied right brake and did not respond to the transfer of control command by removing his feet entirely from the rudder pedal. I was not able to overcome his application of the brake and keep the aircraft on the runway and avoid a ground loop.
A Pitts flight instructor reported a runway excursion and ground loop when the student applied right rudder then right brake.