Incident Overview
During a wheel landing, the pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the touchdown was "smooth and straight." However, once the tailwheel made contact with the runway, the airplane began to drift to the right. As the landing roll continued, the drift escalated into a sharp right turn.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that he attempted to correct the veer using rudder input, but the airplane continued to deviate from the runway centerline. It subsequently exited the runway to the right, entered a ground loop, and the left wing struck the terrain.
Aircraft Damage
The left wing sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact with the ground.
Pilot Report
The pilot confirmed that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.