TAYLORCRAFT ACFT LEAVES THE RWY AT STERLING; PA; WHEN R BRAKE LOCKS ON LNDG ROLL.

Narrative

ENRTE FROM SUSSEX; NJ (FWN); TO WILKES-BARRE-SCRANTON (AVP) FOR WEEKEND; WE MISSED THE NOTAMED XA00 ARPT CLOSURE AND DIVERTED TO OUR ALTERNATE; SPRING HILL ARPT (70N); TO AWAIT THE REOPENING OF (AVP). AVP WAS RPTING WINDS 220 DEGS AT 15 KTS GUSTING 20 KTS BUT AT SPRING HILL IT APPEARED TO BE WINDS FROM 320 DEGS. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE R WING DOWN ON THE APCH TO RWY 23. ON LNDG; HVY L RUDDER AND SOME L BRAKING WAS NEEDED TO KEEP STRAIGHT ON THE RWY. UPON ADDITION OF SOME R BRAKE TO SLOW THE ACFT; THE ACFT BEGAN TO VEER R AND DEPART THE RWY. HARDER BRAKING AND THE GRASS INCREASED THE DECELERATION AND WITH A SLIGHT BUMP COMING OFF THE RWY THE ACFT NOSED OVER. THE PROP STRUCK BOTH BLADES; STOPPING THE ENG AND WITH POSSIBLY AN ASSIST FROM THE WIND; THE ACFT SETTLED BACK ON ITS TAILWHEEL. DAMAGE INCLUDED PROP; COWLING; WINDSHIELD; ENG MOUNT; POSSIBLE FIREWALL; CRACKED L REAR PLEXI; AND AN 18 INCH LONG DENT IN L WINGTIP LEADING EDGE. SUSPECT CAUSE FOR ACFT VEERING OFF TO R WAS A LOCKED UP BRAKE AS THERE WAS TIRE MARK FOR ABOUT 50 FT ON THE RWY AND 10-15 FT OF DRAG MARKING THE GRASS. THERE WERE NO MARKS FROM THE L TIRE. INCIDENT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY 1) DELAYING FLT SO AS TO ARRIVE AT DEST AFTER THE ARPT REOPENED; 2) NEGATE LNDG AFTER SEEING THE STIFF WINDS AT THE ALTERNATE ARPT AND CHOOSING ANOTHER; AND 3) CHKING ACFT SYS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ASSURE PROPER FUNCTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE R BRAKE HAD LOCKED AT THE FIRST APPLICATION OF BRAKE TO THAT WHEEL.