Incident Details
A private pilot was landing a taildragger airplane on Runway 13. The wind was reported from 220 degrees at 12 knots. After touchdown, as the airplane decelerated, it began to veer to the right. The pilot reported that he could not stop the veer. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and skidded into soft dirt, which caused the landing gear to collapse.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that during the approach, everything looked fine. He had the right wing down and was using left rudder to maintain runway heading. He was able to fly down the runway centerline without a problem, so he gradually reduced power, flared slowly, and landed on the centerline. However, as the airplane slowed, he noted that rudder effectiveness decreased and he lost control. The pilot commented that he should have anticipated using lots of brake pressure as the airplane slowed.
Pilot Experience
The pilot's written statement indicated a total flight time of 74 hours, of which 63 hours were in the accident make and model aircraft.