Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during landing rollout that resulted in a nose over and an impact with the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was receiving flight instruction from the flight instructor towards a tailwheel endorsement at the time of the accident. The pilot completed several flight maneuvers with the flight instructor before returning to the departure airport where they practiced landings. During these landings, the airplane ended up about 10-15 ft left of the runway centerline before stopping. During the last landing, the pilot flew a stabilized approach with full flaps, at an airspeed of 60 mph, and a descent rate of 300 ft/min. The airplane touched down on its main landing gear and during rollout the pilot placed aileron control input into the wind. The pilot applied corrective rudder control input when the airplane began to drift left of the runway centerline, but the airplane continued to drift left. The pilot did not remember if he applied brakes during the beginning of the landing rollout but applied brakes to prevent the airplane from going off the runway. The flight instructor stated the pilot applied full braking, and the airplane nosed over on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and left wing. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.