Incident Overview
During the landing roll of a tailwheel-equipped aircraft, the pilot experienced an unexpected veer to the right after an otherwise uneventful touchdown. Despite applying full left rudder, the aircraft did not respond to the control input. To correct the deviation, the pilot then applied partial left braking together with the full left rudder deflection. This action caused the aircraft to begin tracking straight, but the tail lifted off the ground, initiating a nose-over event. When the nose started to rise, the pilot released the brake application, but the aircraft continued to rotate over onto its back.
Findings
Subsequent examination revealed that the right brake was dragging or binding during the landing roll. The investigation determined that the amount of left brake necessary to maintain straight tracking, given the dragging right brake, resulted in the aircraft nosing over. No other contributing factors were identified in the source material.
Conclusion
The incident was attributed to a mechanical issue with the right brake, which led to a loss of directional control and subsequent nose-over during the landing roll.