ground loop

noun

, Aeronautics.

1. a sharp horizontal loop performed, usually involuntarily, while touching the ground.

ground loop

noun

1. a sudden uncontrolled turn by an aircraft on the ground, while moving under its own power

Word History and Origins

Origin of ground loop¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The ground loop was apparently intentional because the aircraft had run out of runway without being able to come to a halt.

From Reuters

Later, a ground loop in the microscope was discovered as the culprit for an electrical shock a surgeon sustained when a foot touched the damp operating room floor, George said.

From Washington Times

Consisting of an indoor heat pump and a buried system of pipes called a ground loop, the geothermal system takes advantage of steady underground temperatures to provide low-cost heating and cooling.

From Washington Post

One advantage of a geothermal heat pump’s ground loop compared to the air source heat exchangers shown is that you don’t have to dig them out after a snowstorm.

From Forbes

Suddenly she put her nose down and plunged to earth, landing with a smash that made her ground loop and pile up close to a hangar door.

From Project Gutenberg