What happened
The pilot was performing a landing when the aircraft touched down on the center of the runway using the main landing gear. As the tail wheel began its descent, the aircraft encountered sudden wind gusts. These gusts caused the right wing to lift, resulting in an immediate 35-degree rotation to the right.
Following this rotation, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and collided with a concrete culvert. The aircraft came to a stop at the site of the collision. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and the left main landing gear. There were no injuries reported following the event.
Findings
A review of available weather data indicated that surface winds were originating from approximately 180 degrees at 14 knots, with gusts reaching 24 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical issues with the aircraft prior to or during the incident.