Accident Details
The aircraft was substantially damaged during landing when it departed the runway pavement and encountered a small ditch, causing the left main landing gear to collapse. The pilot estimated that the wind during the accident flight was five knots or less. The pre-takeoff brake check was normal, and the takeoff was uneventful. Upon landing, the aircraft began pulling to the left. The pilot applied full right rudder and right brake, but the aircraft tracked toward the left side of the runway and subsequently departed the pavement.
Witness Observations
A local pilot who observed the approach reported that the aircraft appeared slightly high and fast. She also recalled hearing one, louder-than-normal "chirp" of the tires on the runway during touchdown, leading her to believe the pilot had made a "hard 3 point landing."
Post-Accident Inspection and Evidence
A post-accident inspection revealed that the left main landing gear had collapsed and damaged the left wing. The left main tire had a hole worn through the tread area. Examination of the brake system on the left main landing gear found no anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure.
The runway exhibited tire marks beginning approximately 1,400 feet from the threshold and continuing, virtually uninterrupted, to the point where the aircraft departed the pavement. Marks in the grass continued from that point to the aircraft's resting position in the ditch. The initial skid mark was associated with the left main landing gear and continued approximately 275 feet, paralleling the runway centerline. This mark was characterized by a single, continuous line except for two short breaks. The skid mark produced by the left main gear tire then changed to a set of two parallel marks characteristic of a flat tire. At this point, the mark indicated that the aircraft began tracking toward the left side of the runway and was continuous until it left the pavement. A single, continuous skid mark associated with the right main landing gear tire began about the time the aircraft started tracking to the left.
Pilot Statement
The president of the flying club from which the pilot had rented the aircraft reported a conversation with the pilot. He commented that, during a crosswind landing in the model aircraft involved, it "would be easy to push with the toes to lock the brake." The pilot reportedly responded that "that was probably the case."