What happened
Prior to the departure of a planned cross-country flight, the crew established that the copilot would act as the pilot flying while the pilot served as the pilot monitoring. This particular takeoff represented the copilot's first time operating the aircraft type at or near its maximum gross weight. During the takeoff roll, the pilot taxied the aircraft and secured the tailwheel. Approximately 13 seconds into the roll, the aircraft drifted toward the right, prompting the copilot to apply left rudder. This resulted in a sharp swerve to the left, at which point the pilot intervened to take control.
The aircraft briefly lifted off the runway, but the pilot attempted to settle the plane back onto the surface due to low airspeed. During this maneuver, the aircraft experienced a stall, rolled to the left, and struck the ground. The impact caused the right main landing gear to collapse and the left wing to make contact with the terrain. A fire broke out following the impact, though all occupants successfully exited the aircraft through the rear left door.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the aircraft found no mechanical failures or malfunctions regarding the flight controls or the tailwheel assembly. While the aluminum shear pin in the tailwheel strut was found to be sheared, this was consistent with the lateral forces experienced during the crash sequence.
Records indicated that the copilot had received his pilot-in-command rating and checkout in this specific aircraft only about ten weeks prior to the accident, having completed only two previous flights in the plane with an instructor. The instructor had previously noted that the copilot struggled with directional control, specifically exhibiting slow, imprecise rudder inputs and a tendency to overcorrect. The investigation concluded that the copilot failed to maintain directional control during the initial takeoff roll, and that more immediate intervention by the pilot monitoring might have prevented the subsequent stall and impact.