Narrative:

I departed from a grass strip and flew to 47K. The first landing was a wheel landing. Slight pio (pilot induced oscillation) was arrested by forward stick pressure. As the aircraft slowed down the tailwheel slowly descended down to the runway. Immediately, the aircraft turned left. Full right rudder was applied. The aircraft departed the runway, full brakes were applied, and the aircraft was almost stopped when it hit a rut and flipped. The occupants were not injured. The aircraft was righted and did not receive substantial damage. The tailwheel was inspected and found to be in the castering mode -- not aligned with the airplane. The aircraft is equipped with heel brakes. It is difficult to apply full brake and full right rudder under pressure. If full right brake were applied the turn may have been arrested. Supplemental information from acn 595794: prior to the flight, the flight instructor discussed with the student pilot/owner the performance of the tailwheel during ground operations. It was noted that the aircraft's tailwheel had a tendency to not unlock or 'swivel' when turning to the left. It was also noted that there was difficulty locking the tailwheel on hard surfaces after it had unlocked. We discussed whether maintenance or replacement would be an option. We assumed that this was a 'quirk' of the airplane, rather than a deficiency. As the aircraft slowed, the tail came down. When the tail touched, the aircraft made an immediate turn to the left. The tailwheel was observed to be unlocked. While the aircraft was pushed to the ramp, the tailwheel failed to lock in the trail position after a left turn, ie, the aircraft continued to turn left. The aircraft was not equipped with brakes on the right side. As an instructor, I was sitting in the right seat. We should not allow ourselves to accept a mechanical deficiency as a 'quirk' of the airplane. Both of the pilots were under pressure to finish the rating. We should have made sure the aircraft was not deficient in any way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LUSCOMBE STUDENT PLT-OWNER, WHILE FLYING WITH HIS CFI, FLIPPED HIS ACFT OVER DURING LNDG AT 47K.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FROM A GRASS STRIP AND FLEW TO 47K. THE FIRST LNDG WAS A WHEEL LNDG. SLIGHT PIO (PLT INDUCED OSCILLATION) WAS ARRESTED BY FORWARD STICK PRESSURE. AS THE ACFT SLOWED DOWN THE TAILWHEEL SLOWLY DSNDED DOWN TO THE RWY. IMMEDIATELY, THE ACFT TURNED L. FULL R RUDDER WAS APPLIED. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY, FULL BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND THE ACFT WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN IT HIT A RUT AND FLIPPED. THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED. THE ACFT WAS RIGHTED AND DID NOT RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE TAILWHEEL WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE IN THE CASTERING MODE -- NOT ALIGNED WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH HEEL BRAKES. IT IS DIFFICULT TO APPLY FULL BRAKE AND FULL R RUDDER UNDER PRESSURE. IF FULL R BRAKE WERE APPLIED THE TURN MAY HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 595794: PRIOR TO THE FLT, THE FLT INSTRUCTOR DISCUSSED WITH THE STUDENT PLT/OWNER THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TAILWHEEL DURING GND OPS. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ACFT'S TAILWHEEL HAD A TENDENCY TO NOT UNLOCK OR 'SWIVEL' WHEN TURNING TO THE L. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS DIFFICULTY LOCKING THE TAILWHEEL ON HARD SURFACES AFTER IT HAD UNLOCKED. WE DISCUSSED WHETHER MAINT OR REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AN OPTION. WE ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS A 'QUIRK' OF THE AIRPLANE, RATHER THAN A DEFICIENCY. AS THE ACFT SLOWED, THE TAIL CAME DOWN. WHEN THE TAIL TOUCHED, THE ACFT MADE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE L. THE TAILWHEEL WAS OBSERVED TO BE UNLOCKED. WHILE THE ACFT WAS PUSHED TO THE RAMP, THE TAILWHEEL FAILED TO LOCK IN THE TRAIL POS AFTER A L TURN, IE, THE ACFT CONTINUED TO TURN L. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH BRAKES ON THE R SIDE. AS AN INSTRUCTOR, I WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT. WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO ACCEPT A MECHANICAL DEFICIENCY AS A 'QUIRK' OF THE AIRPLANE. BOTH OF THE PLTS WERE UNDER PRESSURE TO FINISH THE RATING. WE SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THE ACFT WAS NOT DEFICIENT IN ANY WAY.

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.