Accident Sequence
The flight instructor of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the oil filler cowl door unlatched during flight while he was demonstrating flight maneuvers to a passenger. Concerned for safety, he decided to land as soon as possible and overflew a nearby island airstrip to verify wind direction and identify potential obstacles. The airstrip was 2,000 feet long and 15 feet wide. During the precautionary landing, as the airplane slowed and the tailwheel was lowered to the ground, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left, causing it to drift to the right side of the narrow runway. The flight instructor stated that when it became clear he could not keep the aircraft on the runway surface, he initiated a go-around. During the aborted landing, the right main landing gear impacted an unknown object, which slowed the airplane's momentum. The airplane then settled to the ground and slid to a stop on the fuselage, sustaining substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer cables and the right aileron.
Post-Accident Inspection
A Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector examined the oil filler cowl latch and found no failure or degradation of the locking mechanism or the latch assembly.
Meteorological Conditions
Meteorological conditions reported for the airstrip around the time of the accident indicated wind from the north-northeast at 7 knots, gusting to 9 knots. The flight instructor was landing to the southeast.