What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that he elected to land aircraft while on its second evaluation flight after noticing an unexplained vibration that he later thought was caused by a loose flying wire on the inboard left wing. During the wheel landing, he touched down at a slightly higher speed due to his concern to get the aircraft on the ground quickly, causing it to hop before remaining in continous contact with the runway. When he lowered the tail to make tailwheel contact during the landing rollout, the aircraft unexplainably veered to the right, despite the pilot's left braking and left aileron inputs, exiting the runway and coming to rest on its nose a few feet to the right of the runway surface. The pilot also stated that when the tailwheel came down it felt like " something grabbed" causing the aircraft to veer right. Subsequent inspection of the aircraft indicated no anomalies regarding control surfaces or freedom of movement.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE ELECTED TO LAND AIRCRAFT WHILE ON ITS SECOND EVALUATION FLIGHT AFTER NOTICING AN UNEXPLAINED VIBRATION THAT HE LATER THOUGHT WAS CAUSED BY A LOOSE FLYING WIRE ON THE INBOARD LEFT WING. DURING THE WHEEL LANDING, HE TOUCHED DOWN AT A SLIGHTLY HIGHER SPEED DUE TO HIS CONCERN TO GET THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND QUICKLY, CAUSING IT TO HOP BEFORE REMAINING IN CONTINOUS CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. WHEN HE LOWERED THE TAIL TO MAKE TAILWHEEL CONTACT DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT UNEXPLAINABLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT, DESPITE THE PILOT'S LEFT BRAKING AND LEFT AILERON INPUTS, EXITING THE RUNWAY AND COMING TO REST ON ITS NOSE A FEW FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE TAILWHEEL CAME DOWN IT FELT LIKE " SOMETHING GRABBED" CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER RIGHT. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED NO ANOMALIES REGARDING CONTROL SURFACES OR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.