What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Upon initial touchdown during landing on runway 18 at approx 70 KTS, pilot indicated a/c bounced. Pilot stabilized a/c in ground effect and set a/c down on centerline again. Touch down was normal. As airspeed decayed below 50 KTS, a/c tail wheel touched down at faster speed than normal as there was pax in rear seat. When tailwheel touched down a/c veered sharply to the right and departed runway. Approx 15 to 20 ft west of runway is a ditch that paralells the full lenght of the runway.a/c came to rest inverted with pilots head oriented such that water level came within 1.5 in of drowning the pilot. Passenger head position was higher up and was not threatened in a similar manner.
As the FAA filed it
UPON INITIAL TOUCHDOWN DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 18 AT APPROX 70 KTS, PILOT INDICATED A/C BOUNCED. PILOT STABILIZED A/C IN GROUND EFFECT AND SET A/C DOWN ON CENTERLINE AGAIN. TOUCH DOWN WAS NORMAL.AS AIRSPEED DECAYED BELOW 50 KTS, A/C TAIL WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN AT FASTER SPEED THAN NORMAL AS THERE WAS PAX IN REAR SEAT.WHEN TAILWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN A/C VEERED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND DEPARTED RUNWAY.APPROX 15 TO 20 FT WEST OF RUNWAY IS A DITCH THAT PARALELLS THE FULL LENGHT OF THE RUNWAY.A/C CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH PILOTS HEAD ORIENTED SUCH THAT WATER LEVEL CAME WITHIN 1.5 IN OF DROWNING THE PILOT. PASSENGER HEAD POSITION WAS HIGHER UP AND WAS NOT THREATENED IN A SIMILAR MANNER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.