Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing in gusty crosswinds.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane when on touchdown, the airplane’s right wing lifted and the pilot lost control. The airplane nosed over and impacted on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and upper rear fuselage near the bulkhead. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 36 with wind from 060o at 11 knots with gusts to 17 knots.