Incident Overview
A flight instructor, seated in the right seat, was providing tail-wheel flight instruction in an airplane equipped with wheel brakes accessible only to the pilot in the left seat. The instructor demonstrated the first landing to the pilot receiving instruction, who occupied the left seat. During the landing roll, the instructor reported losing rudder effectiveness, causing the airplane to veer to the right. He then applied full power to abort the landing.
Sequence of Events
According to the flight instructor, during the aborted landing, the pilot receiving instruction applied both toe brakes at the moment full power was applied. The instructor attempted to maintain directional control, but the left wing impacted the runway, and the airplane veered off the runway to the left. The instructor reduced the power to idle, and the airplane came to a stop in the terrain adjacent to the runway.
The pilot receiving instruction reported that he remained clear of the flight controls and brakes during the landing roll. He stated that he applied brakes only after the runway excursion to the left, after the flight instructor had reduced power to idle during the aborted landing.
Damage and Conditions
The left wing and left aileron sustained substantial damage. Both the flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Postaccident photographs revealed deceleration skid marks leading off the runway first to the right, and additional deceleration skid marks about 550 feet further down the runway leading off to the left into the grass.
Wind Conditions
The flight instructor reported that the automated weather observing system around the time of the accident indicated wind from 220 degrees true at 10 knots, resulting in a 5-knot crosswind component.