ATL94LA153

The pilot reported that he landed on the sod runway with light and variable winds. During the landing roll, he lightly applied brakes, and the airplane veered right off the runway and collided with trees. The brakes were examined with no malfunctions nor failures found. The propeller exhibited damage that indicated the airplane collided with the trees at a high power setting. The pilot had a previous accident in the same airplane. During that accident, the airplane landed on runway 4, with north winds, and the airplane veered off of the runway to the right.

On August 10, 1994, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, N44970, collided with trees following a loss of control during landing, at the Laurel Hill Plantation Airstrip, near Beaufort, South Carolina. The airplane was operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the local, personal flight. Neither the commercial pilot nor his passenger were injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was a local, private strip about 15 minutes prior to the accident.

The pilot reported that after landing, the tailwheel was lowered to the short-grass runway, about half way down its 2,000 foot length. He applied light braking, and the airplane veered to the right. According to the pilot, the right brake locked and control could not be regained with opposite control input. The airplane departed the right side of runway 21 and collided with trees that bounded the runway's western edge. The pilot stated that the passenger did not interfere with the flight controls and that the wind was calm.

The airplane was examined by an airworthiness inspector from the South Carolina Flight Standards District Office on August 11, and 24, 1994. His examination report is attached. The inspector stated that, at the accident site while the airplane was still on its nose, the brake pedals were checked. The pedals were firm with no sponginess noted. He stated that both propeller blades were bent forward and that the propeller had dug a trench. During the second examination of the airplane, the right wheel was removed from the axle and the brake examined. The inspector reported that the lining, drum, springs, and cylinder were all in normal condition. No evidence of brake system malfunction or failure was noted. The aircraft log contained an entry dated 01/10/68 that "...showed the removal of agricultural spray equipment and the reinstallation of a front seat with seat belt and instruments in accordance with FAA letter 1/17/57. Aircraft to be used for agricultural training purposes only."

NTSB records indicated that the pilot had an accident in the same airplane on June 14, 1991, at Deming, New Mexico. On landing, the airplane veered right, off of the runway. In his report of that accident, the pilot stated that he landed on runway 4 with the tetrahedron indicating a wind from the north. FAA records indicated that the pilot received a re-examination of his proficiency following the accident. The record stated that it was unusual that the pilot arrived in a GA-690 turbopropeller airplane, since the accident was a loss of control on landing in a tailwheel biplane. The record also stated that during the re- examination, the pilot's performance was satisfactory and that the pilot had "lazy" feet regarding rudder control.