What happened
During landing on runway 20 at Vacaville, a Piper PA-22/20 experienced directional control issues after touchdown. The pilot reported that the aircraft first veered left and then right before departing the runway from the right side. At the time of the incident, winds were described as being from 100 degrees at 6 knots, while local METAR reports indicated variable winds between 3 and 4 knots.
While traveling at a slow speed, the pilot applied both brakes to stop the aircraft. This resulted in the airplane nosed over very slowly, causing damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot had recently retrieved the aircraft from maintenance, as it had been in the shop for repairs over the previous two months. Notably, the aircraft had been modified to a conventional landing gear arrangement.
The investigation
The investigation noted that the pilot had received dual instruction prior to departing Medford to review landing techniques specifically for aircraft with conventional gear. There were no mechanical malfunctions or failures reported in the aircraft during the event.