What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot of privacy data omitted, a tail wheel aircraft, landed runway 22 at the Eau Claire Chippewa valley airport (keau) in a heavy crosswind. The pilot had lost directional control shortly after touchdown to runway 22. After touchdown the aircraft veered/weather vained into the direction of strong gusty winds reported by Eau Claire tower controller on duty to have been 26 knots peak velocity out of 260 degrees. After the aircraft veered to the right it then proceeded off the right side of the runway into a grassy area. Ten yards from the runway's edge the aircraft came to abrupt rest 90 degrees perpedicular to runway 22 causing the tail to rise then rapidly fall resulting in separation of the tail wheel assembly.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A TAIL WHEEL AIRCRAFT, LANDED RUNWAY 22 AT THE EAU CLAIRE CHIPPEWA VALLEY AIRPORT (KEAU) IN A HEAVY CROSSWIND. THE PILOT HAD LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN TO RUNWAY 22. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED/WEATHER VAINED INTO THE DIRECTION OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS REPORTED BY EAU CLAIRE TOWER CONTROLLER ON DUTY TO HAVE BEEN 26 KNOTS PEAK VELOCITY OUT OF 260 DEGREES. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT IT THEN PROCEEDED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO A GRASSY AREA. TEN YARDS FROM THE RUNWAY'S EDGE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO ABRUPT REST 90 DEGREES PERPEDICULAR TO RUNWAY 22 CAUSING THE TAIL TO RISE THEN RAPIDLY FALL RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY.
Other reports on N4478B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.