Narrative:

While practicing lndgs, I made a full stop 3-POINT landing on runway 36. Touchdown was normal but a few seconds later the aircraft began veering to the left. I applied right rudder until the rudder pedal was at the maximum limit, without effect. I next applied full left aileron. The rate at which the aircraft was veering to the left slowed, but did not stop. I then applied right brake. Although the airplane decelerated, the rate of turn to the left continued to increase, ending in a ground loop to the left at the west edge of the runway. The aircraft ended up in a shallow ditch bordering the runway and sustained damage to the bottom of the rudder, the outboard 33 inches of the trailing edge of the left aileron, and the tailwheel assembly. WX at the time was excellent, with a light breeze of about 5 KTS coming from between 240- 300 degrees. WX was not a factor. Everything I've learned in 14000 hours tells me that with full right rudder and brake and full left aileron, the airplane should have been turning to the right, not the left. For this reason, I find it hard not to suspect a mechanical fault in the rudder/tailwheel control linkage, but at this time we have not yet found any physical evidence to support this theory. The FAA currently labels this an incident rather than an accident (and I file this form at the emphatic suggestion of the FAA inspector to whom I reported this incident). However, it is classified, I must confess to feeling a certain sense of betrayal in having damaged an airplane after doing 'everything right.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PORTERFIELD SMA MAKING FULL STOP LNDGS. PLT HAD EXECUTED 3-POINT LNDG AND ON ROLLOUT ACFT BEGAN VEERING TO THE L. UNABLE TO STEP L TURN AND ENDED UP GND DAMAGING THE RUDDER AND TRAILING EDGE OF THE L AILERON PLUS THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY. NO INJURY TO THE PLT.

Narrative: WHILE PRACTICING LNDGS, I MADE A FULL STOP 3-POINT LNDG ON RWY 36. TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL BUT A FEW SECONDS LATER THE ACFT BEGAN VEERING TO THE L. I APPLIED R RUDDER UNTIL THE RUDDER PEDAL WAS AT THE MAX LIMIT, WITHOUT EFFECT. I NEXT APPLIED FULL L AILERON. THE RATE AT WHICH THE ACFT WAS VEERING TO THE L SLOWED, BUT DID NOT STOP. I THEN APPLIED R BRAKE. ALTHOUGH THE AIRPLANE DECELERATED, THE RATE OF TURN TO THE L CONTINUED TO INCREASE, ENDING IN A GND LOOP TO THE L AT THE W EDGE OF THE RWY. THE ACFT ENDED UP IN A SHALLOW DITCH BORDERING THE RWY AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE RUDDER, THE OUTBOARD 33 INCHES OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE L AILERON, AND THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY. WX AT THE TIME WAS EXCELLENT, WITH A LIGHT BREEZE OF ABOUT 5 KTS COMING FROM BTWN 240- 300 DEGS. WX WAS NOT A FACTOR. EVERYTHING I'VE LEARNED IN 14000 HRS TELLS ME THAT WITH FULL R RUDDER AND BRAKE AND FULL L AILERON, THE AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNING TO THE R, NOT THE L. FOR THIS REASON, I FIND IT HARD NOT TO SUSPECT A MECHANICAL FAULT IN THE RUDDER/TAILWHEEL CTL LINKAGE, BUT AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NOT YET FOUND ANY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS THEORY. THE FAA CURRENTLY LABELS THIS AN INCIDENT RATHER THAN AN ACCIDENT (AND I FILE THIS FORM AT THE EMPHATIC SUGGESTION OF THE FAA INSPECTOR TO WHOM I RPTED THIS INCIDENT). HOWEVER, IT IS CLASSIFIED, I MUST CONFESS TO FEELING A CERTAIN SENSE OF BETRAYAL IN HAVING DAMAGED AN AIRPLANE AFTER DOING 'EVERYTHING RIGHT.'

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.