What happened
During a solo flight, a student pilot was performing landing attempts in a Cessna 152. Following a successful first landing, the pilot attempted a second landing. During the landing rollout, the pilot applied both brakes simultaneously to decelerate the aircraft. Shortly after braking, the aircraft began pulling heavily to the right. The pilot reported that the pull was so significant that the aircraft drifted toward the side of the runway at an angle of approximately 35 degrees from the centerline. Despite not applying the brakes during this veer, the pilot noted hearing the squeal of brakes. In an effort to realign with the runway centerline, the pilot applied heavy left rudder.
As the aircraft veered, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wingtip struck the ground. The resulting ground track showed multiple tire marks from both the left and right main landing gear. Initial tracks indicated the left main gear arcing to the left, followed by two tracks arcing to the right.
The investigation
The investigation examined the ground markings and the aircraft's mechanical condition. Analysis of the tire tracks indicated that the aircraft ultimately ground looped to the left, causing the right wing to strike the terrain and the right main landing gear to collapse under the fuselage. Post-accident inspections of the braking systems revealed no anomalies, and operational tests showed no discrepancies in the brake systems.