What happened
The landing on runway 19 was initially normal under calm wind conditions. However, during the landing roll, the PA-18-150 departed the right side of the runway. The aircraft traveled down a 10-degree embankment and subsequently struck a fence.
At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated a total of 7 hours of flight time in the aircraft type, with only 2 hours completed as pilot-in-command. Notably, the pilot had received his tailwheel endorsement on the same day as the accident.
The investigation
Following the event, the pilot reported that he had applied left rudder pressure, but it had no effect on the aircraft's direction. An FAA inspector interviewed the pilot, who stated that he may have inadvertently applied pressure to the rudder pedal instead of applying the brake.
A functional test was conducted on both the rudder and the braking systems. The investigation found no mechanical discrepancies or malfunctions in either system.