Narrative:

Landed 1978 bellanca viking at private airport. Good landing and pilot initiated very slight left correction on rollout at approximately 40 knots. Subsequently airplane did not respond to right rudder or right brake. Airplane continued on slight left angle to the runway until the left wing contacted sage brush and berm on left side of runway which caused the airplane to sharply pivot to the left and leave the runway with the nose at a ninety degree angle to the runway. The nose gear collapsed in a drainage ditch. The left wing leading edge was damaged. Right wing suffered cosmetic damage. Both main gear appear to be slightly twisted. The propeller struck the berm and suffered substantial damage which may require replacement. Engine teardown will be required. Cowling was also damaged by nose gear collapse and may require replacement. Nose gear will require replacement. Tail skid contacted the runway leaving a gouge in the pavement. No injury to pilot. No passenger. WX cavu. No wind. Runway slopes uphill and aircraft landed uphill. Runway is approximately 75 ft wide and over 3000 ft long and was not a factor in the incident. Vikings have a long history of swerving to the left and departing runways. Cause of this tendency has not been established nor published. This was not a pilot error incident. The pilot has over 400 hours in this aircraft and the aircraft is well maintained.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the belleca viking aircraft has a history of swerving left during lndgs and that during discussion with other owners on an interest forum there have been 22 other such incidents. The reporter indicated that the WX was calm winds; perfect visibility and that he had landed on centerline when the swerve began at nosewheel touchdown. His efforts to control the deviation with the rudder and eventually the brake had no effect. He indicated that conversations with the factory have resulted in no advice and he felt that the factory knows about the aircraft's anomaly but; he felt; refuses to address the problem. Additionally; conversations with aircraft maintenance personnel have found no reason for the swerve. The aircraft had no maintenance problems prior to the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELLANCA 17-30A VIKING PLT LOSES CTL OF ACFT DURING LNDG AND HAS A RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: LANDED 1978 BELLANCA VIKING AT PRIVATE ARPT. GOOD LNDG AND PLT INITIATED VERY SLIGHT LEFT CORRECTION ON ROLLOUT AT APPROXIMATELY 40 KNOTS. SUBSEQUENTLY AIRPLANE DID NOT RESPOND TO RIGHT RUDDER OR RIGHT BRAKE. AIRPLANE CONTINUED ON SLIGHT LEFT ANGLE TO THE RWY UNTIL THE LEFT WING CONTACTED SAGE BRUSH AND BERM ON LEFT SIDE OF RWY WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO SHARPLY PIVOT TO THE LEFT AND LEAVE THE RWY WITH THE NOSE AT A NINETY DEG ANGLE TO THE RWY. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED IN A DRAINAGE DITCH. THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE WAS DAMAGED. RIGHT WING SUFFERED COSMETIC DAMAGE. BOTH MAIN GEAR APPEAR TO BE SLIGHTLY TWISTED. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE BERM AND SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHICH MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. ENG TEARDOWN WILL BE REQUIRED. COWLING WAS ALSO DAMAGED BY NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE AND MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. NOSE GEAR WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. TAIL SKID CONTACTED THE RWY LEAVING A GOUGE IN THE PAVEMENT. NO INJURY TO PLT. NO PAX. WX CAVU. NO WIND. RWY SLOPES UPHILL AND ACFT LANDED UPHILL. RWY IS APPROXIMATELY 75 FT WIDE AND OVER 3000 FT LONG AND WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT. VIKINGS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF SWERVING TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTING RWYS. CAUSE OF THIS TENDENCY HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED NOR PUBLISHED. THIS WAS NOT A PLT ERROR INCIDENT. THE PLT HAS OVER 400 HOURS IN THIS ACFT AND THE ACFT IS WELL MAINTAINED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE BELLECA VIKING ACFT HAS A HISTORY OF SWERVING LEFT DURING LNDGS AND THAT DURING DISCUSSION WITH OTHER OWNERS ON AN INTEREST FORUM THERE HAVE BEEN 22 OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE WX WAS CALM WINDS; PERFECT VISIBILITY AND THAT HE HAD LANDED ON CTRLINE WHEN THE SWERVE BEGAN AT NOSEWHEEL TOUCHDOWN. HIS EFFORTS TO CTL THE DEVIATION WITH THE RUDDER AND EVENTUALLY THE BRAKE HAD NO EFFECT. HE INDICATED THAT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FACTORY HAVE RESULTED IN NO ADVICE AND HE FELT THAT THE FACTORY KNOWS ABOUT THE ACFT'S ANOMALY BUT; HE FELT; REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROB. ADDITIONALLY; CONVERSATIONS WITH ACFT MAINT PERSONNEL HAVE FOUND NO REASON FOR THE SWERVE. THE ACFT HAD NO MAINT PROBS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.