What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilotprivacy data omitted had departed red deer, alberta for Cut Bank, Montana, on a return trip home after an 11 day flying/camping vacation. There were two people on board, both pilots. The pilot privacy data omitted was flying, as the other pilot was not checked out in a tailwheel aircraft, and was acting as the navigator. Upon arrival at the Cut Bank airport, the ASOS report was winds were light and variable. They circled the airport several times, and observed the windsock was indicating 5-7 KTS from the w/sw direction. Runway 32 was chosen for the landing. On descent, from 800? And lower, minor turbulence was intermittently encountered on downwind, final, and base legs. On final, flaps were set at 3 notches (3/4 flaps) and left there due to density altitude and gusting winds. Final approach speed was 70 mph.
Just prior to touchdown, a gust encountered, and acft floated with the power off. After mains were on the ground, the acft started to drift right of center, left rudder and aileron were applied. When the tail wheel contacted the runway, the airplane immediately turned left and started sliding. Right rudder was added, but the slide to the left continued. The aircraft departed the runway, and the right wing and right stabilizer contacted the ground, damaging the right outer wing and aileron, and the right stabilizer, with the right gear bent almost 180 degrees underneath the aircraft. The aircraft stopped off the right edge of the runway in the grass and dirt.
The prop did not contact the ground. No other damage was noted during initial inspection for disassembly for further repairs.
All controls operated normally.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD DEPARTED RED DEER, ALBERTA FOR CUT BANK, MONTANA, ON A RETURN TRIP HOME AFTER AN 11 DAY FLYING/CAMPING VACATION. THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD, BOTH PILOTS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS FLYING, AS THE OTHER PILOT WAS NOT CHECKED OUT IN A TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT, AND WAS ACTING AS THE NAVIGATOR. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE CUT BANK AIRPORT, THE ASOS REPORT WAS WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THEY CIRCLED THE AIRPORT SEVERAL TIMES, AND OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK WAS INDICATING 5-7 KTS FROM THE W/SW DIRECTION. RUNWAY 32 WAS CHOSEN FOR THE LANDING. ON DESCENT, FROM 800? AND LOWER, MINOR TURBULENCE WAS INTERMITTENTLY ENCOUNTERED ON DOWNWIND, FINAL, AND BASE LEGS. ON FINAL, FLAPS WERE SET AT 3 NOTCHES (3/4 FLAPS) AND LEFT THERE DUE TO DENSITY ALTITUDE AND GUSTING WINDS. FINAL APPROACH SPEED WAS 70 MPH.
JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, A GUST ENCOUNTERED, AND ACFT FLOATED WITH THE POWER OFF. AFTER MAINS WERE ON THE GROUND, THE ACFT STARTED TO DRIFT RIGHT OF CENTER, LEFT RUDDER AND AILERON WERE APPLIED. WHEN THE TAIL WHEEL CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY TURNED LEFT AND STARTED SLIDING. RIGHT RUDDER WAS ADDED, BUT THE SLIDE TO THE LEFT CONTINUED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, AND THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT STABILIZER CONTACTED THE GROUND, DAMAGING THE RIGHT OUTER WING AND AILERON, AND THE RIGHT STABILIZER, WITH THE RIGHT GEAR BENT ALMOST 180 DEGREES UNDERNEATH THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED OFF THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY IN THE GRASS AND DIRT.
THE PROP DID NOT CONTACT THE GROUND. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED DURING INITIAL INSPECTION FOR DISASSEMBLY FOR FURTHER REPAIRS.
ALL CONTROLS OPERATED NORMALLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.