Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot stated that during landing the airplane's tail began to "oscillate" when it contacted the runway. The airplane then drifted off the right side of the runway and the right main landing gear wheel encountered the adjacent terrain. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage that included wrinkling of the left wing skin, damage to the vertical stabilizer, and damage to the left side of the fuselage near the windshield. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were uninjured. No mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were noted.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during landing on runway 15 (3,900 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) the airplane's tail began to "oscillate" when it contacted the runway. The airplane then "drifted" off the right side of the runway where the right main landing gear wheel encountered the adjacent terrain. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage that included wrinkling of the left wing skin, damage to the vertical stabilizer, and damage to the left side of the fuselage near the windshield. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were uninjured. No mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were noted.