Accident Overview
On June 8, 2012, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, registration N721R, was substantially damaged during a landing at Norwalk-Huron County Airport (5A1), Norwalk, Ohio. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
The flight originated at Geauga County Airport (7G8), Middlefield, Ohio, at 1230. While landing on runway 28, a 4,210-foot by 75-foot asphalt surface, the pilot reported that the right brake "locked up" upon touchdown, causing the airplane to veer off the runway. The airplane then struck a 3-foot wide drainage ditch located about 66 feet from the runway edge, which ran parallel to the runway. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the left wing.
Examination and Testing
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the accident site and noted that runway skid marks and a wingtip scrape indicated the right wheel was not on the ground until shortly before contacting the ditch. The inspector also observed that the airplane had a very narrow wheel stance and limited forward visibility in the landing attitude.
The right brake was subsequently tested at the brake manufacturer's facility under FAA oversight. The brake successfully passed the acceptance test procedure, and no fluid leakage was observed around the piston.
Pilot Experience
The pilot reported 997 total flight hours, with only 1 hour logged in the accident airplane. The accident flight was the pilot's first flight in that airplane, and it was his first landing in it.
Weather Conditions
At 1353, the surface weather observation at Lorain County Regional Airport (LPR), approximately 18 nautical miles east of 5A1, reported wind from 320 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 26°C, dew point 7°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.05 inches of mercury.