Accident Details
A pilot performed a normal three-point touchdown in a conventional gear airplane on runway 11R, with wind from 300 degrees at 10 knots. After rolling out for several hundred feet, the pilot applied right rudder to correct for a left quartering tailwind condition. However, the tail wheel steering did not function properly, resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane veered off the runway into an adjacent plowed field and nosed over. The pilot reported difficulty maintaining the intended track despite rudder inputs, indicating that the tail wheel was not responding as expected.
Examination Findings
Following the accident, the tail wheel assembly was examined. An internal tail wheel centering spring was found broken. This spring is responsible for returning the tail wheel to its centered position, enabling effective steering. With the spring fractured, the tail wheel could not properly engage the steering mechanism, rendering it ineffective. The spring had accumulated approximately 400 hours of total service time at the time of the accident.