The pilot had been familiarizing himself with the operation of the tailwheel-equipped airplane in preparation for utilizing it to provide flight training. During the 2-week period leading up to the accident he had practiced multiple takeoffs, landings, and touch-and-go landings, many of which were performed at the accident airstrip. The pilot reported that he had requested that a volunteer sit in the front seat, so he could familiarize himself with flying from the rear seat. After an uneventful flight, they performed a touch-and-go landing on the dirt airstrip. However, during climbout the airplane began to rapidly sink. The pilot reported that he asked the passenger to retract the flaps, because the control was positioned next to the front seat. The pilot applied forward elevator control attempting to gain airspeed, but the airplane continued to sink. He elected to perform an off-airport landing on a dirt road just beyond the runway. However, during the landing roll, the right wing struck a ditch and sustained substantial damage.
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