Incident Overview
An airplane conducting a landing on Runway 17, a 3,500-foot by 70-foot asphalt runway, encountered an uncommanded swerve after touching down. The aircraft departed the right side of the runway and subsequently ground-looped before coming to rest in an upright position. The nose landing gear collapsed during the event. The private pilot, with 610 hours of flight experience, and a passenger were able to exit the aircraft without assistance.
Landing Sequence
Tire transfer marks on the runway surface began approximately 1,700 feet from the approach end of Runway 17. The orientation of the marks indicated that the nose landing gear tire contacted the runway first. This was followed by the right main landing gear tire and then the left main landing gear tire. A flat spot on the right main landing gear tire, along with the transfer marks, was consistent with excessive application of the right wheel brake.
Weather Conditions
A weather reporting station located 5 nautical miles north of the accident site reported wind from 310 degrees at 6 knots at the time of the event.
Aircraft Examination
An examination of the airplane's flight controls revealed no pre-impact anomalies.