ground loop

noun

: a sharp uncontrollable turn made by an aircraft on the ground and usually caused by an unbalanced drag (as from a wingtip touching the ground)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Through a lease program, the company would own the ground loop in partnership with a capital group, which the homeowner could lease with an opportunity to buy. —Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022

As further insurance, a ground loop cooling system is being installed under the building that can be powered up to keep the ground frozen if winters become too warm, Crandall said. —Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News, 7 July 2017

Tail-dragger airplanes—that is, airplanes with the main gear in front and a tail wheel behind—are particularly susceptible to ground looping. —Eric Tegler, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above