What happened
The pilot was conducting a flight intended to practice touch-and-go landings at a nearby airport. The aircraft, which had been converted from tricycle to conventional landing gear, was being operated by a pilot who had recently received a tailwheel endorsement.
During the takeoff roll on a runway measuring 6,010 feet in length and 150 feet in width, the pilot applied approximately one-half engine power with the intention of performing a "slow takeoff." As the pilot applied forward pressure on the controls to lift the tail from the runway, the aircraft began to veer to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the deviation using right rudder; however, the airplane entered a skid to the right and subsequently ground looped.
The aircraft came to rest off the right-hand edge of the runway. The incident resulted in damage to the left wing, the left horizontal stabilizer, and the left landing gear. At the time of the event, the surface wind was a 3-knot right, quartering tailwind.