What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After landing runway 14 Pearland Regional Airport, and upon tailwheel touching down, aircraft began pulling to the right. Pilot applied full left rudder and applied brakes. Aircraft continued veering to the right, departed runway surface and continued to roll toward a drainage ditch between the runway and taxiway. The aircraft entered the drainage ditch nose first and came to rest upright. Pilot and passenger safely egressed the aircraft with no injuries reported. The aircraft was recovered from the drainage ditch utilizing a crane and transported to a hangar. Post-recovery inspection revealed the following visual damage: right main landing gear wheel assembly broken from strut assembly approximately six inches from wheel hub; propellor damage; and minor deformation of nose cowlings. Flight controls were checked for continuity with no discrepancies noted. Inspection of the right main landing gear wheel assembly where it broke from the strut revealed a fresh break where it failed, along with evidence of a crack that had been present for quite some time. Evidence of this crack is visible around approximately fifty percent of the circumference of the tube. Video of the incident was provided via email by general manager, Pearland Regional Airport. Although the video is taken from quite a distance away, it shows the aircraft land on the runway, roll for a short distance, and then veer somewhat abruptly to the right and depart the runway and enter a ditch.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER LANDING RUNWAY 14 PEARLAND REGIONAL AIRPORT, AND UPON TAILWHEEL TOUCHING DOWN, AIRCRAFT BEGAN PULLING TO THE RIGHT. PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER AND APPLIED BRAKES. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED VEERING TO THE RIGHT, DEPARTED RUNWAY SURFACE AND CONTINUED TO ROLL TOWARD A DRAINAGE DITCH BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE DRAINAGE DITCH NOSE FIRST AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. PILOT AND PASSENGER SAFELY EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE DRAINAGE DITCH UTILIZING A CRANE AND TRANSPORTED TO A HANGAR. POST-RECOVERY INSPECTION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING VISUAL DAMAGE: RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY BROKEN FROM STRUT ASSEMBLY APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES FROM WHEEL HUB; PROPELLOR DAMAGE; AND MINOR DEFORMATION OF NOSE COWLINGS. FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. INSPECTION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY WHERE IT BROKE FROM THE STRUT REVEALED A FRESH BREAK WHERE IT FAILED, ALONG WITH EVIDENCE OF A CRACK THAT HAD BEEN PRESENT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. EVIDENCE OF THIS CRACK IS VISIBLE AROUND APPROXIMATELY FIFTY PERCENT OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TUBE. VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT WAS PROVIDED VIA EMAIL BY GENERAL MANAGER, PEARLAND REGIONAL AIRPORT. ALTHOUGH THE VIDEO IS TAKEN FROM QUITE A DISTANCE AWAY, IT SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT LAND ON THE RUNWAY, ROLL FOR A SHORT DISTANCE, AND THEN VEER SOMEWHAT ABRUPTLY TO THE RIGHT AND DEPART THE RUNWAY AND ENTER A DITCH.