Narrative:

En route from sussex, nj (fwn), to wilkes-barre-scranton (avp) for weekend, we missed the notamed XA00 airport closure and diverted to our alternate, spring hill airport (70N), to await the reopening of (avp). Avp was reporting winds 220 degrees at 15 KTS gusting 20 KTS but at spring hill it appeared to be winds from 320 degrees. It was difficult to keep the right wing down on the approach to runway 23. On landing, heavy left rudder and some left braking was needed to keep straight on the runway. Upon addition of some right brake to slow the aircraft, the aircraft began to veer right and depart the runway. Harder braking and the grass increased the deceleration and with a slight bump coming off the runway the aircraft nosed over. The propeller struck both blades, stopping the engine and with possibly an assist from the wind, the aircraft settled back on its tailwheel. Damage included propeller, cowling, windshield, engine mount, possible firewall, cracked left rear plexi, and an 18 inch long dent in left wingtip leading edge. Suspect cause for aircraft veering off to right was a locked up brake as there was tire mark for about 50 ft on the runway and 10-15 ft of drag marking the grass. There were no marks from the left tire. Incident possibly could have been avoided by 1) delaying flight so as to arrive at destination after the airport reopened, 2) negate landing after seeing the stiff winds at the alternate airport and choosing another, and 3) checking aircraft system on a regular basis to assure proper function. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that the investigation found that the right brake had locked at the first application of brake to that wheel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAYLORCRAFT ACFT LEAVES THE RWY AT STERLING, PA, WHEN R BRAKE LOCKS ON LNDG ROLL.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM SUSSEX, NJ (FWN), TO WILKES-BARRE-SCRANTON (AVP) FOR WEEKEND, WE MISSED THE NOTAMED XA00 ARPT CLOSURE AND DIVERTED TO OUR ALTERNATE, SPRING HILL ARPT (70N), TO AWAIT THE REOPENING OF (AVP). AVP WAS RPTING WINDS 220 DEGS AT 15 KTS GUSTING 20 KTS BUT AT SPRING HILL IT APPEARED TO BE WINDS FROM 320 DEGS. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE R WING DOWN ON THE APCH TO RWY 23. ON LNDG, HVY L RUDDER AND SOME L BRAKING WAS NEEDED TO KEEP STRAIGHT ON THE RWY. UPON ADDITION OF SOME R BRAKE TO SLOW THE ACFT, THE ACFT BEGAN TO VEER R AND DEPART THE RWY. HARDER BRAKING AND THE GRASS INCREASED THE DECELERATION AND WITH A SLIGHT BUMP COMING OFF THE RWY THE ACFT NOSED OVER. THE PROP STRUCK BOTH BLADES, STOPPING THE ENG AND WITH POSSIBLY AN ASSIST FROM THE WIND, THE ACFT SETTLED BACK ON ITS TAILWHEEL. DAMAGE INCLUDED PROP, COWLING, WINDSHIELD, ENG MOUNT, POSSIBLE FIREWALL, CRACKED L REAR PLEXI, AND AN 18 INCH LONG DENT IN L WINGTIP LEADING EDGE. SUSPECT CAUSE FOR ACFT VEERING OFF TO R WAS A LOCKED UP BRAKE AS THERE WAS TIRE MARK FOR ABOUT 50 FT ON THE RWY AND 10-15 FT OF DRAG MARKING THE GRASS. THERE WERE NO MARKS FROM THE L TIRE. INCIDENT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY 1) DELAYING FLT SO AS TO ARRIVE AT DEST AFTER THE ARPT REOPENED, 2) NEGATE LNDG AFTER SEEING THE STIFF WINDS AT THE ALTERNATE ARPT AND CHOOSING ANOTHER, AND 3) CHKING ACFT SYS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ASSURE PROPER FUNCTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE R BRAKE HAD LOCKED AT THE FIRST APPLICATION OF BRAKE TO THAT WHEEL.

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.