Incident Overview
During the landing roll, the tailwheel gear assembly collapsed, leading the aircraft to swerve to the left. The swerve continued until the aircraft departed the runway surface. During the swerve, the right wing tip contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Post-Accident Examination
A detailed examination of the tailwheel assembly revealed that a nut was missing from the attach bolt. The absence of this nut allowed the tailwheel gear assembly to collapse sideways under load. Additionally, the threads on the attach bolt were found to be damaged, which likely contributed to the nut's failure to remain secured.
Findings
The collapse of the tailwheel gear assembly was directly attributed to the missing nut and the damaged threads on the attach bolt. No other factors were identified in the investigation.
Damage Assessment
The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the wing striking the ground. The extent of damage to other components was not detailed.