Accident Summary
During the landing roll, the left wing and horizontal stabilizer sustained substantial damage when they contacted the ground. The landing had been uneventful until the pilot lowered the tail to the ground. Immediately afterward, the airplane suddenly veered to the right. The pilot locked up the left wheel brake, but the airplane continued its rightward movement. Just before the airplane stopped, the left wing and horizontal stabilizer made contact with the ground.
Pilot Observations
The pilot reported that on several previous occasions, the tail wheel seemed to stick initially, causing the airplane to deviate from the selected track. However, it would free up and the airplane would track straight. No other pilot comments were recorded.
Post-Accident Examination
Post-accident examination revealed that the tail wheel rotated freely until moved to its maximum left deflection limit, at which point the tail wheel locked in that position. A mechanic detected wear on both sides of the thrust plate spacers (part number 3407-00). The mechanic suspected that the tail wheel springs (part number 3233-00) were binding on the thrust plates. He recommended replacement of the thrust plates whenever they showed wear on either side.