Primary finding
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight instructor and student pilot were completing a soft field landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane. The student pilot landed in a 3-point configuration and the airplane bounced so he increased the throttle and applied forward control input. The airplane then turned left, and the student pilot overcorrected to the right. The flight instructor attempted to correct with opposite rudder and brake; however, the airplane exited the right side of the runway, which resulted in a left main landing gear collapse. The left wing subsequently struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.