What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
ASOS reporting winds were at 170 at 8 gusting to 18. As stated by the pilot on downwind the tower cleared me to land on runway 26 and reported winds at 200 at 6. The pilot came in on a stable approach with a little extra speed (~75MPH) due to being heavy weight and having gusty winds. The plane had a small amount of unexpected float, then the pilot began the flare and ended up slightly high. The pilot slowly bled off the speed and descended toward the runway. There was a gust/lull that caused me to drop the last 12” or so on the runway. That caused the plane to bounce slightly, but well within what the pilot normally would roll out of without a go-around. On the second impact it bounced again, with slightly less amplitude. It happened again before settling down. Power was off and the yoke all the way back, that is when a strong gust hit from the right side and pushed the plane to the left. It was violent and unexpected. The pilot was able to keep the upwind wing down but was unable to overcome the turning tendency with the rudder. The aircraft was still over 30MPH at that point. With the plane heading toward the left side of the runway, a go-around was not an option anymore and the attempts to recenter the plane were unsuccessful as the tailwheel had come around too FAR and had lost rudder authority. The aircraft went off the runway just before taxiway g into the gravel and the plane turned sideways with the nose facing east. It appeared like the aircraft was going to gently come to a stop, but as we were nearly stopped (<5MPH), the right gear buckled and collapsed. Causing the right wing to impact the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ASOS REPORTING WINDS WERE AT 170 AT 8 GUSTING TO 18. AS STATED BY THE PILOT ON DOWNWIND THE TOWER CLEARED ME TO LAND ON RUNWAY 26 AND REPORTED WINDS AT 200 AT 6. THE PILOT CAME IN ON A STABLE APPROACH WITH A LITTLE EXTRA SPEED (~75MPH) DUE TO BEING HEAVY WEIGHT AND HAVING GUSTY WINDS. THE PLANE HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF UNEXPECTED FLOAT, THEN THE PILOT BEGAN THE FLARE AND ENDED UP SLIGHTLY HIGH. THE PILOT SLOWLY BLED OFF THE SPEED AND DESCENDED TOWARD THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS A GUST/LULL THAT CAUSED ME TO DROP THE LAST 12” OR SO ON THE RUNWAY. THAT CAUSED THE PLANE TO BOUNCE SLIGHTLY, BUT WELL WITHIN WHAT THE PILOT NORMALLY WOULD ROLL OUT OF WITHOUT A GO-AROUND. ON THE SECOND IMPACT IT BOUNCED AGAIN, WITH SLIGHTLY LESS AMPLITUDE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN BEFORE SETTLING DOWN. POWER WAS OFF AND THE YOKE ALL THE WAY BACK, THAT IS WHEN A STRONG GUST HIT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE AND PUSHED THE PLANE TO THE LEFT. IT WAS VIOLENT AND UNEXPECTED. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE UPWIND WING DOWN BUT WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE TURNING TENDENCY WITH THE RUDDER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL OVER 30MPH AT THAT POINT. WITH THE PLANE HEADING TOWARD THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, A GO-AROUND WAS NOT AN OPTION ANYMORE AND THE ATTEMPTS TO RECENTER THE PLANE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AS THE TAILWHEEL HAD COME AROUND TOO FAR AND HAD LOST RUDDER AUTHORITY. THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE RUNWAY JUST BEFORE TAXIWAY G INTO THE GRAVEL AND THE PLANE TURNED SIDEWAYS WITH THE NOSE FACING EAST. IT APPEARED LIKE THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO GENTLY COME TO A STOP, BUT AS WE WERE NEARLY STOPPED (<5MPH), THE RIGHT GEAR BUCKLED AND COLLAPSED. CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TO IMPACT THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.