What happened
The pilot attempted to initiate takeoff from an eighteen-foot-wide gravel roadway. As the aircraft accelerated and the tail began to lift off the ground, the right wing dropped unexpectedly. The airplane immediately veered toward the right side of the path.
In an effort to counteract the turn and stop the aircraft from continuing its rightward deviation, the pilot applied the left brake. This corrective action caused the airplane to swing sharply to the left, effectively turning the aircraft 180 degrees. The plane then skidded off the roadway and into a ditch located on the left side of the path. Upon impact with the ditch, the right main landing gear collapsed.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the loss of directional control during the critical takeoff phase on an extremely narrow surface. The combination of the tight width of the gravel roadway and the aerodynamic forces acting on the aircraft as it rotated contributed to the wing drop and subsequent veer. The pilot's attempt to correct the heading using differential braking resulted in a sharp turn that directed the aircraft into the ditch, leading to structural damage to the landing gear.