What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot stated that he landed his aircraft (N74EK) on the grass parallel to the runway at Dewitt Spain airport (M01), Memphis TN. Upon landing, the aircraft started to turn towards the runway. The pilot was concerned that the aircraft was going to strike a runway light and to prevent this from happening he applied right brake pressure. When he performed this action he said it felt like the left wheel "locked up." He also further stated that he applied a little too much brake pressure. At this point the aircraft was moving at a slow rate of speed but still moving fast enough to flip over from nose to tail. The aircraft sustained damage to the upper left wingtip, the antenna on the upper middle of the wing, upper portion of the rudder, and a slight bend on one end of the propeller. The pilot stated that he felt that an accumulation of grass between the left wheel and wheel skirt could have caused the wheel to lock up. The pilot removed the left wheel skirt in our presence and there was no evidence of grass on the wheel or wheel skirt. While the aircraft was jacked it was noted that the left wheel did not rotate freely due to the brake dragging. The right wheel rotated freely with no brake dragging.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LANDED HIS AIRCRAFT (N74EK) ON THE GRASS PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY AT DEWITT SPAIN AIRPORT (M01), MEMPHIS TN. UPON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO TURN TOWARDS THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO STRIKE A RUNWAY LIGHT AND TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING HE APPLIED RIGHT BRAKE PRESSURE. WHEN HE PERFORMED THIS ACTION HE SAID IT FELT LIKE THE LEFT WHEEL "LOCKED UP." HE ALSO FURTHER STATED THAT HE APPLIED A LITTLE TOO MUCH BRAKE PRESSURE. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVING AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED BUT STILL MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO FLIP OVER FROM NOSE TO TAIL. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE UPPER LEFT WINGTIP, THE ANTENNA ON THE UPPER MIDDLE OF THE WING, UPPER PORTION OF THE RUDDER, AND A SLIGHT BEND ON ONE END OF THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FELT THAT AN ACCUMULATION OF GRASS BETWEEN THE LEFT WHEEL AND WHEEL SKIRT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE WHEEL TO LOCK UP. THE PILOT REMOVED THE LEFT WHEEL SKIRT IN OUR PRESENCE AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF GRASS ON THE WHEEL OR WHEEL SKIRT. WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LEFT WHEEL DID NOT ROTATE FREELY DUE TO THE BRAKE DRAGGING. THE RIGHT WHEEL ROTATED FREELY WITH NO BRAKE DRAGGING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.