What happened
The pilot was conducting practice takeoff and landing maneuvers in a tailwheel aircraft. During one of the landing attempts, the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The pilot applied right rudder input to correct the drift; however, the correction was excessive. This overcorrection caused the aircraft to groundloop to the right. As a result of the violent ground loop, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the terrain.
The investigation
The physical examination of the wreckage confirmed that the damage was consistent with a ground loop event following a landing. The structural failure originated at the left main landing gear assembly, which could not withstand the lateral forces generated during the uncontrolled turn on the ground. No mechanical failures were identified in the flight control systems prior to the impact.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this accident was the pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll. The sequence of events indicates that the aircraft drifted laterally, prompting a rudder correction that was too aggressive for the conditions or speed. This overcorrection led to a ground loop, which subsequently resulted in the collapse of the left main landing gear and impact with the ground. Proper technique for correcting drift in tailwheel aircraft requires smooth, progressive control inputs rather than abrupt movements.