What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This flight was conducted for the purpose of maintaining the pilots proficiency in tail wheel aircraft. The pilot was in the back seat with a passenger/pilot in the front seat the the pilot showed the passenger some of the pit falls related to taxiing in a tail wheel aircaft. After taxiing for about 10-15 minutes they took off and headed about 10 miles. There the PIC demonstrated the aircraft flight characteristics. The PIC allowed the passenger/pilot to follow through steep turns and stalls. After their return to the lonoke ar airport and after a short break the airmen then taxied out again to do some additional flying. On the third or forth landing (3 point) the pilot approached the right side of the runway. The runway had a considerable crown leading into a ditch about 3 feet deep. After touch down the pilot advanced the throttle expecting the p-factor and prop corkscrew effect to keep the aircraft from turning further into the slope of the crown. The pilot applied left rudder and brake but too late and the airplane continued down the slope into the ditch and out the other side onto the cross runway. The pilot tried to straighten it out on crossing runway, but was unsuccessful at which point the airplane went into a wet land area on the other side of that runway striking the tail wheel first (laterally), then the left wing tip, and finally the nose. The left gear broke on impact and the fuselage broke behind the back seat coming to a rest at a 30 degrees angle left of the aircraft center line
As the FAA filed it
THIS FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING THE PILOTS PROFICIENCY IN TAIL WHEEL AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS IN THE BACK SEAT WITH A PASSENGER/PILOT IN THE FRONT SEAT THE THE PILOT SHOWED THE PASSENGER SOME OF THE PIT FALLS RELATED TO TAXIING IN A TAIL WHEEL AIRCAFT. AFTER TAXIING FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES THEY TOOK OFF AND HEADED ABOUT 10 MILES. THERE THE PIC DEMONSTRATED THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS. THE PIC ALLOWED THE PASSENGER/PILOT TO FOLLOW THROUGH STEEP TURNS AND STALLS. AFTER THEIR RETURN TO THE LONOKE AR AIRPORT AND AFTER A SHORT BREAK THE AIRMEN THEN TAXIED OUT AGAIN TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL FLYING. ON THE THIRD OR FORTH LANDING (3 POINT) THE PILOT APPROACHED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE RUNWAY HAD A CONSIDERABLE CROWN LEADING INTO A DITCH ABOUT 3 FEET DEEP. AFTER TOUCH DOWN THE PILOT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE EXPECTING THE P-FACTOR AND PROP CORKSCREW EFFECT TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FROM TURNING FURTHER INTO THE SLOPE OF THE CROWN. THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND BRAKE BUT TOO LATE AND THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED DOWN THE SLOPE INTO THE DITCH AND OUT THE OTHER SIDE ONTO THE CROSS RUNWAY. THE PILOT TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT ON CROSSING RUNWAY, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AT WHICH POINT THE AIRPLANE WENT INTO A WET LAND AREA ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT RUNWAY STRIKING THE TAIL WHEEL FIRST (LATERALLY), THEN THE LEFT WING TIP, AND FINALLY THE NOSE. THE LEFT GEAR BROKE ON IMPACT AND THE FUSELAGE BROKE BEHIND THE BACK SEAT COMING TO A REST AT A 30 DEGREES ANGLE LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT CENTER LINE
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.