INSTRUCTOR PLT OF MAULE MX7-420 HAS STEERING PROB ON ROLLOUT AND LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative

AFTER A SLIGHTLY TAIL FIRST TOUCHDOWN IN A XWIND; THE TURBINE PWRED MAULE MX7-420; THE AIRPLANE STARTED A SLOW TURN TO THE L AND TRIED TO WXVAIN INTO THE WIND. I TOOK OVER AND TRIED TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHT WITH R RUDDER; BUT WITH FULL R RUDDER AND SLIGHT BRAKING THE AIRPLANE TIPPED OVER TO THE R. THE R WINGTIP WAS DAMAGED AND PUSHED THE R AILERON INBOARD WHICH WRINKLED THE AILERON SKIN CLOSE TO THE R WINGTIP. ALSO THE SIDELOAD TURNED THE R WHEEL BUT VERY SLIGHTLY. I COULD STILL TAXI CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY ONTO THE TXWY. I SHUT THE ENG DOWN AND SECURED SWITCHES OFF AND HAD THE AIRPLANE TOWED INTO THE HANGAR FOR REPAIR. WHEN I INSPECTED THE TAILWHEEL I NOTICED THE R SPRING AND ATTACHED CHAIN WERE DISCONNECTED WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED ME KEEPING DIRECTIONAL CTL ON ROLLOUT. I THINK THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS A LOOSE SPRING AND ATTACHMENT CHAIN WHICH CAME OFF ON TOUCHDOWN. I FLY A PITTS S2B REGULARLY AND WHEN WE FIRST FLEW IT IT HAD A LOOSE TAILWHEEL ATTACHMENT. WE HAD IT TIGHTENED AND CTL ON ROLLOUT IMPROVED. I HOPE THIS WILL HELP MAKE PLTS CHK FOR SECURITY AND TIGHTNESS OF THE TAILWHEEL ATTACHMENT MECHANISM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TURBINE ENG MAULE PRODUCED AND IT HAS HAD SOME INITIAL PROBS. MAULE HAS SINCE EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR WIDTH BY 2 FT AND INCREASED THE AILERON WIDTH. BOTH OF THESE THINGS GIVE BETTER CTLABILITY ON THE GND. THE STUDENT WITH WHOM THE RPTR WAS FLYING IS A MECH AND HE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MAULE REGARDING THE ENG WHICH HE WORKS ON. HE INFORMED THE RPTR ABOUT THE CHANGES MAULE HAS MADE ON THE ACFT. THE INCIDENT WAS NOT A FULL GND LOOP BUT TURNED ABOUT 180 DEGS; AND THE ACFT KIND OF LEANED OVER. RPTR IS A FORMER ACR PLT BUT HAS MANY HRS IN TAILWHEEL ACFT. HE IS CONCERNED THAT THIS INFO REGARDING THE TAILWHEEL BE DISSEMINATED AMONG TAIL DRAGGER PLTS. WHEN THE SPRING IS LOOSE OR AS IN THIS CASE BROKEN; THERE IS NO CTL ON THE GND.