N27TQEric A Munzer DORNIER D027-B2 · 1956

The pilot reported that during the landing rollout in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, the airplane began to drift left. He attempted to maintain control to avoid a ground loop and continued to keep the nose straight as the airplane departed the runway into the grass. During the runway excursion, the airplane encountered a ditch that was hidden from view by tall grass, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.