What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This flight was a banner tow operation, returning to 18V. Pilot dropped the banner on the drop zone adjacent to runway 09 and then entered the left traffic pattern for rwy 33 to land. Wind was from 360 at 8 knots. Pilot chose to do a wheel landing and set the mains down on centerline on heading. On touchdown, the plane immediately weathervaned into the right crosswind with the tail still up. Pilot applied full left rudder. Pilot did not notice any corrective change. Pilot applied left brake and lowered the tailwheel for better steering authority. Pilot heard the tire squeal, and released the brake. At this point aircraft was no longer turning, but heading off the runway approximately 20 degrees to the right of runway heading. As soon as the mains entered the grass, aircraft decelerated, the nose dove into the dirt in front of the plane and then it tipped up on the nose and over on its back. The plane came to a halt upside down pointing directly opposite of landing.
As the FAA filed it
THIS FLIGHT WAS A BANNER TOW OPERATION, RETURNING TO 18V. PILOT DROPPED THE BANNER ON THE DROP ZONE ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 09 AND THEN ENTERED THE LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RWY 33 TO LAND. WIND WAS FROM 360 AT 8 KNOTS. PILOT CHOSE TO DO A WHEEL LANDING AND SET THE MAINS DOWN ON CENTERLINE ON HEADING. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY WEATHERVANED INTO THE RIGHT CROSSWIND WITH THE TAIL STILL UP. PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER. PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANY CORRECTIVE CHANGE. PILOT APPLIED LEFT BRAKE AND LOWERED THE TAILWHEEL FOR BETTER STEERING AUTHORITY. PILOT HEARD THE TIRE SQUEAL, AND RELEASED THE BRAKE. AT THIS POINT AIRCRAFT WAS NO LONGER TURNING, BUT HEADING OFF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT OF RUNWAY HEADING. AS SOON AS THE MAINS ENTERED THE GRASS, AIRCRAFT DECELERATED, THE NOSE DOVE INTO THE DIRT IN FRONT OF THE PLANE AND THEN IT TIPPED UP ON THE NOSE AND OVER ON ITS BACK. THE PLANE CAME TO A HALT UPSIDE DOWN POINTING DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OF LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.