AA-1 PLT HAD R BRAKE FAILURE WHEN LNDG IN A 15 KT XWIND. HE WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND DID A GND LOOP.

Narrative

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RWY 17R AT DWK ARPT. THERE WAS A DIRECT XWIND FROM THE R-HAND SIDE OF THE RWY. THE LNDG TOUCHDOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH R WHEEL TOUCHING DOWN FOLLOWED BY L MAIN GEAR AND THE TAILWHEEL CAME DOWN AFTER AIRSPD WAS NO LONGER SUFFICIENT TO KEEP THE TAIL FLYING. AT THIS POINT DUE TO THE STRONG XWIND; I DECIDED IT WAS BEST NOT TO LET THE ACFT ROLL OUT TOO FAR SO I BEGAN TO BRAKE. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED; THE L BRAKE FELT NORMAL BUT THE R BRAKE PROCEEDED TO GO FULL FORWARD ON THE PEDAL RANGE OF MOTION WITH NO EFFECTIVE BRAKING OCCURRING TO THE R SIDE. THE ACFT DARTED TO THE L WITH ONLY THE L BRAKE WORKING. THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY WENT INTO FREE TRAVEL MODE; WITH THIS SUDDEN MOVEMENT TO THE L. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL OPPOSITE RUDDER TO THE TURN WITHOUT ANY EFFECT DUE TO THE FREEWHEEL MODE OF THE TAILWHEEL. THE ACFT CONTINUED TURNING L OUT OF CTL SLIDING SIDEWAYS OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY COMING TO REST IN THE GRASS AFTER COMPLETING A 270 DEG TURN. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY WITH NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. A MECH HELPED GET THE ACFT TO THE HANGAR WHERE THE R BRAKE FAILURE WAS VERIFIED. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BRAKE FLUID IN THE R MASTER CYLINDER TO ACTIVATE THE DISK BRAKE. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS FILLED WITH FLUID BY THE MECH AND THE R BRAKE THEN FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THIS IS A CLOSED SYS WITH NO RESERVOIR FOR BRAKE FLUID THAT IS VISIBLE TO CHK AND NO WAY FOR THE PLT TO DETERMINE IF THE SYS IS LOW ON FLUID. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF LEAKAGE AT THE MASTER CYLINDER OR THE WHEEL CYLINDER. FIRST INDICATION OF ANY PROB WAS BRAKE FAILURE AT THE WRONG TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT WAS FLYING A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-1 YANKEE. THE ACFT HAS HAD THE NOSEWHEEL REMOVED AND CONVERTED TO A TAILWHEEL ACFT. THE PLT HAS HAD THE ACFT LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. THE ANNUAL WAS PERFORMED IN APRIL. PLT NOW QUESTIONS THE COMPLETENESS OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. PLT WAS LNDG IN A 15 KT DIRECT XWIND.