Incident Summary
Upon arrival at the destination airport, the pilot observed generally light surface winds from the south with occasional gusts from the west. During the landing attempt on Runway 19, the airplane touched down, bounced, and a loud crashing noise was heard. The airplane then veered sharply to the left. The pilot aborted the landing and reentered the traffic pattern for another approach.
Ground personnel later advised the pilot that the tailwheel had separated during the bounced landing. The pilot decided to land on the grass adjacent to the runway. She described the approach as appearing normal except for buffeting that she attributed to heat. Subsequently, the left wing dipped toward the ground. The airplane struck a drainage ditch and came to rest in a bean field.
Post-event examination revealed no preimpact mechanical discrepancies with the airplane.