What happened
During the landing phase of a flight, the pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced a sudden and significant deviation to the left. The incident occurred during the landing roll, specifically after the tailwheel had made contact with the ground. As the aircraft veered toward the left boundary of the runway, the pilot opted not to execute a sharp correction to the right to avoid an overcorrection maneuver. Consequently, the aircraft exited the paved surface.
As the aircraft moved into the soft terrain adjacent to the runway, the right main landing gear suffered a collapse. The impact with the ground resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. No injuries to the pilot were reported during the event.
Findings
- The aircraft veered sharply to the left following the touchdown of the tailwheel.
- The pilot intentionally allowed the aircraft to exit the runway to avoid a sudden rightward correction.
- The collapse of the right main landing gear was caused by the aircraft encountering soft terrain during the excursion.
- There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions present prior to the accident that would have prevented standard operation.