Amateur-built VANS RV-8 N4546Y accident near Sheridan, Wyoming

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate directional control during the landing roll.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane checked the weather prior to landing and noted a light right crosswind. He performed an uneventful approach with an extended downwind segment. He selected full flaps and performed a slip maneuver during the final approach. Just after the main landing gear made contact with the runway, the airplane began to drift to the left. He countered with successively harder right rudder pedal inputs, and the airplane began to swerve to the right. The airplane veered across the runway and into the grass beside the runway. As the tailwheel touched the ground, the pilot applied left rudder pedal pressure, and the airplane veered left, reentered the runway, and came to rest on a heading almost opposite the landing direction. Postaccident examination revealed evidence, including damage to the outer rim of the right wheel and the fuselage at the right landing gear attach point, indicative of excessive side loading during landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11LA280 for the full record.