This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
During the roll out after a normal 3-point landing, the aircraft veered sharply to the right off the runway and ended up in a ditch.
No injuries, no structural damage to the aircraft or airport property resulted from this incident.
Winds were variable. The approach was stable, the landing was smooth.
Emergency procedures were activated after the aircraft came to a standstill (fuel shut off and magnetos off). The ELT was activated automatically.
I believe this incident was caused by excessive control input, using my right leg on the rudder instead of just my toes. Too much right rudder (too long, too strong). I should have just used my toes and ankles on the rudder during the roll out.
A possible contributing factor might have been that the front seatbelt (solo from the rear) was buckled, but not tight, and it was found on the left rudder pedal near the left brake.
What I learned from this incident: I will take more tailwheel instruction, focusing on rudder control. I will make the front seatbelt check and secure a checklist item, and I will take an instructor up with me if I feel my skills are rusty or when environmental conditions are challenging.
Primary Problem as determined by an ASRS analyst: Human Factors.
