Flight Profile
The aircraft was on a landing approach. Upon touchdown, a violent shimmy occurred, and the aircraft veered to the right. The pilot opted to conduct a go-around to assess the situation. A second landing attempt resulted in the identical condition: a violent shimmy and veering to the right, prompting another go-around. On the third attempt, the pilot successfully touched down and maintained directional control until the aircraft decelerated to a speed between 10 and 15 miles per hour. At that point, directional control was lost, and the aircraft again veered to the right. During this event, the left wing dipped, and the left landing gear collapsed. The aircraft came to rest on the runway, supported by the left wing, the right main landing gear, and the tailwheel.
Inspection Findings
Following the incident, an inspection of the tailwheel assembly was conducted. It was discovered that the tension springs within the tailwheel assembly were not connected. This condition was noted.