Narrative:

The flight was intended to be a cross-country from sunset strip in ohio to dart field in new york and back again, a distance of about 100 miles each way. The weatherman was predicting 65 degrees and clear. Leaving sunset strip at about 1300, I checked the akron canton ATIS, which gave the winds at 160 at 10. After a short hop, I stopped at tri-city airport for fuel and a new sectional. From there, I headed northeast toward youngstown. To avoid the youngstown arsa, I followed the interstate which runs along the southeast edge of the youngstown airport traffic area. This leads into an area of rising terrain and towers. In trying to keep above the minimums, I may have inadvertently violated the floor of the arsa by 50' or so a few times. Since it was colder than the predicted 65 degrees and I was making slower than expected progress, I decided to land at port meadville and then return home. To avoid the problems with the arsa floor and to stay a little warmer, I decided to keep further to the east on my return and fly low over farmland. The area is low rolling hills and trees as well as open pasture. Having trouble maintaining minimum clrncs from the houses, I decided to climb again and turn south until clear of the area. Once out of the youngstown area, maintaining a legal altitude became much easier. Before completing my trip, I wanted to stop at berlin air park to use the facilities and possibly to refuel. The winds at berlin air park were light and variable, predominantly out of the southeast. On final for runway 9, my airspeed was 60 mph. Engine at idle, I landed at about 45 mph with the stick full aft and a little right aileron and left rudder for the crosswind. As the right tire touched down, the aircraft began to veer to the right. Full left rudder and aileron were not enough to keep the aircraft going straight as it slowed down. Off the runway and onto the grass, the plane straightened out a little. Unfortunately, by then the aircraft had reached a stream which runs under the runway. The aircraft came to rest with the left wing on the far bank, the right wing against some brush, the right gear on the near bank, and the propeller down in the water. Climbing out, I lowered the tail of the aircraft to get the nose out of the water. I was not injured and minimal damage was sustained by the aircraft. The aircraft is an amateur built parasol. The brakes are much like those in a, except that they don't provide enough braking power to hold for a 1500 RPM run-up. They are positioned such that it is difficult to operate both the heel brakes and the rudder pedals. After the wheel fairing was removed, the wheels turned freely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SWERVED INTO DITCH OFF RWY WHILE LNDG.

Narrative: THE FLIGHT WAS INTENDED TO BE A CROSS-COUNTRY FROM SUNSET STRIP IN OHIO TO DART FIELD IN NEW YORK AND BACK AGAIN, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 100 MILES EACH WAY. THE WEATHERMAN WAS PREDICTING 65 DEGS AND CLEAR. LEAVING SUNSET STRIP AT ABOUT 1300, I CHECKED THE AKRON CANTON ATIS, WHICH GAVE THE WINDS AT 160 AT 10. AFTER A SHORT HOP, I STOPPED AT TRI-CITY ARPT FOR FUEL AND A NEW SECTIONAL. FROM THERE, I HEADED NE TOWARD YOUNGSTOWN. TO AVOID THE YOUNGSTOWN ARSA, I FOLLOWED THE INTERSTATE WHICH RUNS ALONG THE SE EDGE OF THE YOUNGSTOWN ARPT TFC AREA. THIS LEADS INTO AN AREA OF RISING TERRAIN AND TOWERS. IN TRYING TO KEEP ABOVE THE MINIMUMS, I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY VIOLATED THE FLOOR OF THE ARSA BY 50' OR SO A FEW TIMES. SINCE IT WAS COLDER THAN THE PREDICTED 65 DEGS AND I WAS MAKING SLOWER THAN EXPECTED PROGRESS, I DECIDED TO LAND AT PORT MEADVILLE AND THEN RETURN HOME. TO AVOID THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ARSA FLOOR AND TO STAY A LITTLE WARMER, I DECIDED TO KEEP FURTHER TO THE EAST ON MY RETURN AND FLY LOW OVER FARMLAND. THE AREA IS LOW ROLLING HILLS AND TREES AS WELL AS OPEN PASTURE. HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING MINIMUM CLRNCS FROM THE HOUSES, I DECIDED TO CLIMB AGAIN AND TURN SOUTH UNTIL CLEAR OF THE AREA. ONCE OUT OF THE YOUNGSTOWN AREA, MAINTAINING A LEGAL ALTITUDE BECAME MUCH EASIER. BEFORE COMPLETING MY TRIP, I WANTED TO STOP AT BERLIN AIR PARK TO USE THE FACILITIES AND POSSIBLY TO REFUEL. THE WINDS AT BERLIN AIR PARK WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE, PREDOMINANTLY OUT OF THE SE. ON FINAL FOR RWY 9, MY AIRSPEED WAS 60 MPH. ENGINE AT IDLE, I LANDED AT ABOUT 45 MPH WITH THE STICK FULL AFT AND A LITTLE RIGHT AILERON AND LEFT RUDDER FOR THE XWIND. AS THE RIGHT TIRE TOUCHED DOWN, THE ACFT BEGAN TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. FULL LEFT RUDDER AND AILERON WERE NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ACFT GOING STRAIGHT AS IT SLOWED DOWN. OFF THE RWY AND ONTO THE GRASS, THE PLANE STRAIGHTENED OUT A LITTLE. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THEN THE ACFT HAD REACHED A STREAM WHICH RUNS UNDER THE RWY. THE ACFT CAME TO REST WITH THE LEFT WING ON THE FAR BANK, THE RIGHT WING AGAINST SOME BRUSH, THE RIGHT GEAR ON THE NEAR BANK, AND THE PROPELLER DOWN IN THE WATER. CLIMBING OUT, I LOWERED THE TAIL OF THE ACFT TO GET THE NOSE OUT OF THE WATER. I WAS NOT INJURED AND MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE ACFT. THE ACFT IS AN AMATEUR BUILT PARASOL. THE BRAKES ARE MUCH LIKE THOSE IN A, EXCEPT THAT THEY DON'T PROVIDE ENOUGH BRAKING POWER TO HOLD FOR A 1500 RPM RUN-UP. THEY ARE POSITIONED SUCH THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO OPERATE BOTH THE HEEL BRAKES AND THE RUDDER PEDALS. AFTER THE WHEEL FAIRING WAS REMOVED, THE WHEELS TURNED FREELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.