What happened
After landing on a hard surfaced runway, the pilot of a tailwheel airplane equipped with 29-inch tundra tires was reducing speed to taxi speed when the aircraft suddenly veered to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the deviation by applying full left rudder and left brake; however, the pilot could not straighten the aircraft before the left main landing gear collapsed.
The investigation
An examination of the tailwheel steering mechanism revealed that the anti-castoring limits were set below the break free force recommended by the manufacturer. This condition allowed the aircraft to turn to the right more freely and faster than the rudder control inputs intended to command.
Findings
Investigation into the handling characteristics of aircraft equipped with large tundra tires indicated that such aircraft are significantly more difficult to manage on hard surfaced runways compared to aircraft using conventional tires.