What happened
The aircraft executed a landing on a narrow roadway rather than a designated runway. Upon initial contact with the ground, the tail wheel assembly failed to function correctly. The pilot maintained control briefly as the aircraft veered slightly off its intended path due to the mechanical failure.
As the aircraft continued forward, it departed from the paved surface and moved onto the shoulder of the roadway. During this excursion, the right wing made contact with a pine tree located near the edge of the road, resulting in significant damage to that side of the airframe.
The investigation
A thorough examination of the aircraft was conducted to determine the mechanical cause of the landing deviation. Investigators focused heavily on the nose gear assembly, specifically the tail wheel mechanism responsible for directional stability during ground operations.
The inspection revealed that the tail wheel assembly was in a state of severe wear. Critical components known as spacers were entirely missing from the assembly. This absence of spacers allowed the swivel mechanism to become misaligned and lock into an off-center position. This mechanical failure prevented the tail wheel from tracking straight, directly contributing to the aircraft's inability to maintain a linear path on the ground.