Narrative:

I have to taxi approximately 1 1/2 mi on gwo to arrive at the departure end of runway 18. During that taxi, the entire ramp at gwo was covered with water. I ran through what appeared to be a surface film of water with the lh main wheel that was a pool of water 8-9' deep lasting for 20 plus ft, approximately 5/8 of a mi from the departure end of runway 18. The lh brake 'felt' abnormal during the latter phase of taxiing, and 'draggy' during the roll. I left the gear extended until I entered the clouds southeast of gwo 2200' MSL. I remained in the IMC conditions throughout the balance of the flight until descent for aby. The OAT was 37-42 degree F with visible moisture accumulating on the windshield and necessitating use of full carburetor heat to prevent carburetor icing. The descent to VFR conditions and approach to landing at aby were normal. I extended the landing gear approximately 3 mi from the approach end of runway 16 at aby. I touched 'on the numbers' on runway 16 in a tail low wheel landing condition. The aircraft, a warbird MTR pitched forward and swerved left. I flew again, touched tail level, wheel landing and the pitching/swerving condition was worse, dropping the lh wing drastically. I pwred and flew again, but decided not to reject the landing, assumed a good, straight 3 pt attitude, and touched down. The non-rejection was based on being a faster speed, perhaps worse condition on another try. The aircraft was able to be held straight with full rh braking for approximately 50-100' of roll and began to swing left. At 90 degrees of swing, I stopped all braking when the aircraft began sliding sideways to toward the rh tip. The rh main landing gear struck a trench, sheared, and dropped the rh wing, buckling the wing in the outer third upward by approximately 12'. I have flown MTR's and other tailwheel aircraft for more than half my total time. I expected no brake on the wet brake, versus a locked wheel. The lining had expanded, or frozen, or both, during the IFR flight. When the aircraft was raised after 2 1/2 in the sun, the lh wheel turned freely. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. During callback, the reporter indicated that he had landed with the tailwheel locked. He agreed that ice/freezing conditions was not likely the cause of the locked left main wheel. Upon landing, the main wheel did not blow out, but slowly rotated causing a significant flat spot. The aircraft had a new 10 ply tire, new brake shoe linings and drum lining. The reporter, an FAA approved der (designated engineering representative), stated that the brakes are of drum type with 15' diameter, and that the drum to shoe clearance is to be adjusted to a one ten thousandth gap. He reiterated his belief that swelling of the drum and/or shoe lining had locked the wheel. The possibility of the brake return hydraulic shuttle not returning to the relaxed position was discussed, but the reporter felt that that was unlikely because the design of the brake system would (he claims) affect the right brake as well. The reporter filed a report with the NTSB as well as the FAA. After an initial investigation, the FAA is apparently satisfied with the reporter's description and explanation of the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEFT MAIN WHEEL OF CONVENTIONAL TYPE (TAILWHEEL) RETIRED MTR WARBIRD LOCK UP ON LNDG, GND LOOP AND DAMAGE RESULTS.

Narrative: I HAVE TO TAXI APPROX 1 1/2 MI ON GWO TO ARRIVE AT THE DEP END OF RWY 18. DURING THAT TAXI, THE ENTIRE RAMP AT GWO WAS COVERED WITH WATER. I RAN THROUGH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SURFACE FILM OF WATER WITH THE LH MAIN WHEEL THAT WAS A POOL OF WATER 8-9' DEEP LASTING FOR 20 PLUS FT, APPROX 5/8 OF A MI FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 18. THE LH BRAKE 'FELT' ABNORMAL DURING THE LATTER PHASE OF TAXIING, AND 'DRAGGY' DURING THE ROLL. I LEFT THE GEAR EXTENDED UNTIL I ENTERED THE CLOUDS SE OF GWO 2200' MSL. I REMAINED IN THE IMC CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE BALANCE OF THE FLT UNTIL DSCNT FOR ABY. THE OAT WAS 37-42 DEG F WITH VISIBLE MOISTURE ACCUMULATING ON THE WINDSHIELD AND NECESSITATING USE OF FULL CARBURETOR HEAT TO PREVENT CARBURETOR ICING. THE DSCNT TO VFR CONDITIONS AND APCH TO LNDG AT ABY WERE NORMAL. I EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR APPROX 3 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 16 AT ABY. I TOUCHED 'ON THE NUMBERS' ON RWY 16 IN A TAIL LOW WHEEL LNDG CONDITION. THE ACFT, A WARBIRD MTR PITCHED FORWARD AND SWERVED LEFT. I FLEW AGAIN, TOUCHED TAIL LEVEL, WHEEL LNDG AND THE PITCHING/SWERVING CONDITION WAS WORSE, DROPPING THE LH WING DRASTICALLY. I PWRED AND FLEW AGAIN, BUT DECIDED NOT TO REJECT THE LNDG, ASSUMED A GOOD, STRAIGHT 3 PT ATTITUDE, AND TOUCHED DOWN. THE NON-REJECTION WAS BASED ON BEING A FASTER SPD, PERHAPS WORSE CONDITION ON ANOTHER TRY. THE ACFT WAS ABLE TO BE HELD STRAIGHT WITH FULL RH BRAKING FOR APPROX 50-100' OF ROLL AND BEGAN TO SWING LEFT. AT 90 DEGS OF SWING, I STOPPED ALL BRAKING WHEN THE ACFT BEGAN SLIDING SIDEWAYS TO TOWARD THE RH TIP. THE RH MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUCK A TRENCH, SHEARED, AND DROPPED THE RH WING, BUCKLING THE WING IN THE OUTER THIRD UPWARD BY APPROX 12'. I HAVE FLOWN MTR'S AND OTHER TAILWHEEL ACFT FOR MORE THAN HALF MY TOTAL TIME. I EXPECTED NO BRAKE ON THE WET BRAKE, VERSUS A LOCKED WHEEL. THE LINING HAD EXPANDED, OR FROZEN, OR BOTH, DURING THE IFR FLT. WHEN THE ACFT WAS RAISED AFTER 2 1/2 IN THE SUN, THE LH WHEEL TURNED FREELY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. DURING CALLBACK, THE RPTR INDICATED THAT HE HAD LANDED WITH THE TAILWHEEL LOCKED. HE AGREED THAT ICE/FREEZING CONDITIONS WAS NOT LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE LOCKED LEFT MAIN WHEEL. UPON LNDG, THE MAIN WHEEL DID NOT BLOW OUT, BUT SLOWLY ROTATED CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT FLAT SPOT. THE ACFT HAD A NEW 10 PLY TIRE, NEW BRAKE SHOE LININGS AND DRUM LINING. THE RPTR, AN FAA APPROVED DER (DESIGNATED ENGINEERING REPRESENTATIVE), STATED THAT THE BRAKES ARE OF DRUM TYPE WITH 15' DIAMETER, AND THAT THE DRUM TO SHOE CLRNC IS TO BE ADJUSTED TO A ONE TEN THOUSANDTH GAP. HE REITERATED HIS BELIEF THAT SWELLING OF THE DRUM AND/OR SHOE LINING HAD LOCKED THE WHEEL. THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BRAKE RETURN HYDRAULIC SHUTTLE NOT RETURNING TO THE RELAXED POS WAS DISCUSSED, BUT THE RPTR FELT THAT THAT WAS UNLIKELY BECAUSE THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKE SYS WOULD (HE CLAIMS) AFFECT THE RIGHT BRAKE AS WELL. THE RPTR FILED A RPT WITH THE NTSB AS WELL AS THE FAA. AFTER AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION, THE FAA IS APPARENTLY SATISFIED WITH THE RPTR'S DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION OF THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.