Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the landing roll.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot landed a tailwheel-equipped airplane on the grass adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a rough spot on the ground. The tailwheel began to bounce repeatedly, and the pilot lost control of the airplane as it nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.