Incident Details
During the landing roll, as the tailwheel began to settle, a sudden and unexpected gust of wind lifted the left wing of the airplane. The pilot immediately attempted to counter the roll with rudder inputs, but the wind shifted to a quartering tailwind, causing the rear of the airplane to yaw rapidly to the right. The pilot applied the brakes as the airplane encountered a downhill slope on the left side of the runway. The airplane came to rest inverted.
The empennage sustained substantial damage.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, the automated weather observation system at the airport reported wind from 360 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot was landing on runway 35L.