Piper PA-12

Full Narrative

The accident occurred while the tail-wheel equipped airplane was accelerating on the takeoff roll. The pilot reported that the airplane's tail became airborne before rotation speed, and was immediately followed by a left yaw/swerve. He attempted to regain directional control with right rudder and brake inputs, but the airplane continued in the left swerve. He elected to abort the takeoff by reducing engine power to idle while continuing to apply right rudder and brake inputs. The pilot stated that he used "aggressive" braking as the airplane approached the left edge of the runway, but the airplane departed the runway and struck several trees. He noted that the turf-runway was dew covered and that the winds were approximately 3 knots from the southwest, with no gusts. The leading edges of both wings, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were substantially damaged during the accident. A post-accident inspection of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunction of the tailwheel or braking systems.