Small aircraft exits runway after crosswind landing.

Attributes
ACN	271788
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mgc
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 166 flight time type : 59
ASRS Report	271788
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My passenger and I took off from michigan city municipal airport for a local recreational flight. We used runway 2 with winds at 12-15 mph out of nnw. After uneventful flight, returned to michigan city airport and called unicom on 122.7, but could not hear return transmission from michigan city unicom because of covering talk on radio from dekalb, il, also 122.7 -- where there was a fire at the end of the runway with several pilots discussing it on the air. I then flew over a large cooling tower to check wind direction and found it to be out of the west to wnw. I then overflew the airport and checked windsock and got the same reading, 90 degrees crosswind. I flew approach to runway 2 and made a good landing in the middle of the runway, but the crosswind was pushing me to the right side of the runway. I applied left rudder and the hand brake. The brakes locked up and I could no longer control the direction of the airplane. We slid to the right of the runway and off into the grass and into a small drainage ditch. There were no injuries and slight damage to the airplane. We were able to pull it out of the drainage ditch with the help of several people who came to our aid and hand towed it back to the ramp with a towbar. In retrospect, I think that maybe after I had made a nice touchdown, I may have relaxed a little and this allowed the crosswind to push me to the right which triggered the events which followed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXITS RWY AFTER XWIND LNDG.

Narrative: MY PAX AND I TOOK OFF FROM MICHIGAN CITY MUNICIPAL ARPT FOR A LCL RECREATIONAL FLT. WE USED RWY 2 WITH WINDS AT 12-15 MPH OUT OF NNW. AFTER UNEVENTFUL FLT, RETURNED TO MICHIGAN CITY ARPT AND CALLED UNICOM ON 122.7, BUT COULD NOT HEAR RETURN XMISSION FROM MICHIGAN CITY UNICOM BECAUSE OF COVERING TALK ON RADIO FROM DEKALB, IL, ALSO 122.7 -- WHERE THERE WAS A FIRE AT THE END OF THE RWY WITH SEVERAL PLTS DISCUSSING IT ON THE AIR. I THEN FLEW OVER A LARGE COOLING TWR TO CHK WIND DIRECTION AND FOUND IT TO BE OUT OF THE W TO WNW. I THEN OVERFLEW THE ARPT AND CHKED WINDSOCK AND GOT THE SAME READING, 90 DEGS XWIND. I FLEW APCH TO RWY 2 AND MADE A GOOD LNDG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY, BUT THE XWIND WAS PUSHING ME TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. I APPLIED L RUDDER AND THE HAND BRAKE. THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND I COULD NO LONGER CTL THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRPLANE. WE SLID TO THE R OF THE RWY AND OFF INTO THE GRASS AND INTO A SMALL DRAINAGE DITCH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL IT OUT OF THE DRAINAGE DITCH WITH THE HELP OF SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO CAME TO OUR AID AND HAND TOWED IT BACK TO THE RAMP WITH A TOWBAR. IN RETROSPECT, I THINK THAT MAYBE AFTER I HAD MADE A NICE TOUCHDOWN, I MAY HAVE RELAXED A LITTLE AND THIS ALLOWED THE XWIND TO PUSH ME TO THE R WHICH TRIGGERED THE EVENTS WHICH FOLLOWED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.