What happened
On October 29, 2014, a Curtiss P40B, registration N284CF, was involved in an accident during an attempted landing at New Smyrna Beach Airport (EVB) in Florida. The aircraft, operated by the Collings Foundation, had recently been reassembled in the United States after being transported from the United Kingdom. This flight was only the second flight conducted since the reassembly process was completed.
The pilot departed from EVB at approximately 1525 and flew in the vicinity of the airport for about one hour under visual meteorological conditions. Although the wind favored runway 07, the pilot chose to land on runway 02 to minimize taxi time to the parking area. Upon touchdown in a three-point attitude, the tailwheel began to shimmy as the aircraft started to veer to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the direction using left rudder and left brake inputs, but the aircraft entered a ground loop. The maneuver caused the main landing gear to collapse, resulting in no injuries but causing substantial damage to the left wing and the lower fuselage.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the accident site. The investigation of the rudder control system found no mechanical malfunctions that would have prevented or limited the pilot's ability to maintain directional control. Additionally, the pilot reported that the rudder cables had been verified as taut and functional by a mechanic prior to the flight. While the pilot noted that the rudder and tailwheel steering response felt inadequate to stop the swing, no mechanical anomalies were found in the braking or rudder systems.