Narrative:

Left brake failed on landing rollout, equal braking was being applied to slow aircraft (intermittently more right brake to correct for crosswind). When left brake failed, aircraft started to veer to the right. Left rudder was applied, but tailwheel steering was not positive enough to prevent aircraft from rolling off the right runway edge. Pilot initiated ground loop to prevent aircraft from rolling off runway into tundra/marsh area. Left tire rolled off wheel, causing wheel to dig into gravel runway surface. Aircraft came to rest on left wing and left horizontal stabilizer causing damage to outboard wing, aileron, stabilizer and elevator. Strong wind with gust 055-065 degree runway heading 080. Traffic cones in center of runway approximately 500 ft from end closing south side of runway (full width approximately 65 ft, usable width 35 ft) road crossing runway 250 ft from end, runway surface rutted from improper grading, defective brake disc, wheel conversion. Brake disc separated from wheel assembly at bolt heads (cleveland 6 inch wheel assembly) causing loss of left brake at critical point in tailwheel crosswind landing. A mechanic inspected aircraft after incident believes conversion (wheel expansion adapters to allow use of 10 inch tire in place of 6 inch tire for soft field operation) creates excessive loads for 3 bolt wheels and should only be used on 6 bolt wheels. Previously discovered and repaired during preflight inspection broken wheel bolt on left wheel broken torque plate on right wheel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SURFACE WIND CONDITION EXACERBATES ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM DURING LNDG PROC BRAKING ACTION. ACFT GNDLOOPS AFTER LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative: L BRAKE FAILED ON LNDG ROLLOUT, EQUAL BRAKING WAS BEING APPLIED TO SLOW ACFT (INTERMITTENTLY MORE R BRAKE TO CORRECT FOR XWIND). WHEN L BRAKE FAILED, ACFT STARTED TO VEER TO THE R. L RUDDER WAS APPLIED, BUT TAILWHEEL STEERING WAS NOT POSITIVE ENOUGH TO PREVENT ACFT FROM ROLLING OFF THE R RWY EDGE. PLT INITIATED GND LOOP TO PREVENT ACFT FROM ROLLING OFF RWY INTO TUNDRA/MARSH AREA. L TIRE ROLLED OFF WHEEL, CAUSING WHEEL TO DIG INTO GRAVEL RWY SURFACE. ACFT CAME TO REST ON L WING AND L HORIZ STABILIZER CAUSING DAMAGE TO OUTBOARD WING, AILERON, STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR. STRONG WIND WITH GUST 055-065 DEG RWY HDG 080. TFC CONES IN CENTER OF RWY APPROX 500 FT FROM END CLOSING S SIDE OF RWY (FULL WIDTH APPROX 65 FT, USABLE WIDTH 35 FT) ROAD XING RWY 250 FT FROM END, RWY SURFACE RUTTED FROM IMPROPER GRADING, DEFECTIVE BRAKE DISC, WHEEL CONVERSION. BRAKE DISC SEPARATED FROM WHEEL ASSEMBLY AT BOLT HEADS (CLEVELAND 6 INCH WHEEL ASSEMBLY) CAUSING LOSS OF L BRAKE AT CRITICAL POINT IN TAILWHEEL XWIND LNDG. A MECH INSPECTED ACFT AFTER INCIDENT BELIEVES CONVERSION (WHEEL EXPANSION ADAPTERS TO ALLOW USE OF 10 INCH TIRE IN PLACE OF 6 INCH TIRE FOR SOFT FIELD OP) CREATES EXCESSIVE LOADS FOR 3 BOLT WHEELS AND SHOULD ONLY BE USED ON 6 BOLT WHEELS. PREVIOUSLY DISCOVERED AND REPAIRED DURING PREFLT INSPECTION BROKEN WHEEL BOLT ON L WHEEL BROKEN TORQUE PLATE ON R WHEEL.

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.