Incident Overview
A flight instructor was providing pre-solo instruction to a student pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The student was practicing touch-and-go landings and initiated an approach that was slightly high and fast. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced to an estimated height of about 10 feet above the runway. The instructor added power and attempted to correct the situation. The airplane touched down a second time and again bounced airborne.
Seat Malfunction
During the second bounce, the instructor's seat suddenly released from its latched position and slid aft. This prevented the instructor from reaching the flight controls. The airplane subsequently touched down a third time along the left side of the runway. The left main landing gear failed at its fuselage attachment point, and the left wing struck the ground.
Post-Accident Inspection
An inspection of the instructor's seat after the accident did not reveal any malfunction of the latching mechanism. The student pilot had accrued 14.5 hours of total instructional flight time, with 6.8 hours of instruction in the accident airplane.
Flight Details
The training flight was conducted under visual conditions. No information is available regarding the specific model or registration of the airplane, the date, or the location of the accident. There were no reports of injuries or fatalities.