Flight and Preflight
The pilot reported that he was conducting a personal flight accompanied by the aircraft's owner. The owner had not logged any flight time in that specific make and model. A pre-buy inspection had been completed two days prior to the accident, and no anomalies were identified. Additionally, a preflight inspection performed by the pilot before departure did not reveal any issues. The aircraft departed from runway 36 and remained in a left closed traffic pattern.
Landing and Runway Excursion
The pilot executed a three-point landing within the first 1,000 feet of the runway. During the landing rollout, the tail wheel began to shimmy. In response, the pilot applied forward pressure on the control stick, lifting the tail wheel off the runway surface. The shimmy ceased. The pilot then applied aft pressure on the control stick, lowering the tail wheel back onto the runway. Immediately, the airplane swerved to the right. Despite the pilot's application of left brake and left rudder, the aircraft continued moving to the right, departed the right side of the runway, and struck a ditch.
Post-Accident Findings
The right main landing gear became separated from the aircraft, and the right wing sustained structural damage. An examination of the airplane showed that the right spring of the tail wheel control assembly had separated from both the rudder and the tail wheel attachment point. The tail wheel spring was found approximately 20 feet off the right side of the runway. The spring and its upper and lower attachment points exhibited no visible damage.
Prior Information
The previous owner indicated that he had informed the new owner about a known tendency for the tail wheel to shimmy during three-point landings.