Accident Overview
On September 1, 2011, at approximately 0815 central daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC, registration N83533, was damaged during a landing at Porter County Regional Airport (VPZ) in Valparaiso, Indiana. The airplane departed the right side of runway 9 and struck an adjacent ditch. The pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. The fuselage longerons sustained substantial damage.
Flight Details
The aircraft was registered to Skyview Aviation LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight had originated from Greenville Municipal Airport (6D6) in Greenville, Michigan, at about 0600.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that she made a wheel landing, holding the tail up until the tail wheel settled onto the runway. Once the tail wheel contacted the runway, the airplane turned to the right. She countered by applying left rudder, but the airplane continued turning right. The pilot then applied left brake, which had no effect. The airplane entered the grass adjacent to the runway and approached a hill and ditch. She applied both brakes, but only the right brake was effective, causing the airplane to turn further to the right. The airplane went over the hill and ditch, and the landing gear collapsed.
Pilot Observations
The pilot noted that there was excessive play in the tail wheel assembly and that the left brake was not functional.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident. No anomalies were found with the left brake system. Some wear of the tailwheel assembly was noted, but the tail wheel was operational and appeared to be in an airworthy condition.
Runway Evidence
Photographs of the runway taken after the accident showed skid marks indicating that the airplane's tail wheel experienced shimmy during the landing. The shimmy continued to the side of the runway.