While practicing lndgs, private pilot of a C305, bird dog, lost directional control of the aircraft ...

Narrative:

It had been 2 months since last flying the tail dragger L19A cessna. I had been flying a PA24 regularly and had just finished a 2.3 hour trip from 68J (tallahassee commercial) to eqy. The WX was beautiful and the winds were light and variable to 6 KTS from 060 degrees. As the runway is runway 5 at monroe, I decided to fly the L-19A. After preflight and warm-up, I took off to stay in the pattern to do some takeoffs and lndgs. I had a good final approach on the first landing, set the aircraft down, had a slight bounce while executing a 3 point landing. Added slight power to arrest the bounce set the plane back down. It was straight. No wind to see on the windsock. The stick was back and the plane was rolling out normal and straight when I applied the brakes. The next instant I was headed to the left with the right wing down. The right tire leaving black marks on the runway and despite letting off the brakes and applying rudder to straighten the aircraft. The plane continued to the left in a curving path and ran off the runway into the grass where it stopped facing back towards the approach end of the runway. I checked the ground lights, no hits on anything. The engine was running correctly, the wings had not contacted the ground. I then taxied back to an apron area near the plane's normal tie-down spot via the taxiway. I shut down the aircraft and inspected the tires, brakes, propeller, wingtips, navigation lights, rudder area and tailwheel area. I checked the control operation. All items were fine. I then started the plane, taxied out and did a complete run-up. I took off and made 2 more uneventful normal 3 point lndgs to full stop. I then taxied back and tied down the aircraft. I can only figure that I applied differential braking that started the low speed swing to the left that I was not subsequently able to control. The lack of consistent practice definitely contributed to this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE PRACTICING LNDGS, PVT PLT OF A C305, BIRD DOG, LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT DURING LNDG ROLL RESULTING IN RUNNING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY.

Narrative: IT HAD BEEN 2 MONTHS SINCE LAST FLYING THE TAIL DRAGGER L19A CESSNA. I HAD BEEN FLYING A PA24 REGULARLY AND HAD JUST FINISHED A 2.3 HR TRIP FROM 68J (TALLAHASSEE COMMERCIAL) TO EQY. THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL AND THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE TO 6 KTS FROM 060 DEGS. AS THE RWY IS RWY 5 AT MONROE, I DECIDED TO FLY THE L-19A. AFTER PREFLT AND WARM-UP, I TOOK OFF TO STAY IN THE PATTERN TO DO SOME TKOFS AND LNDGS. I HAD A GOOD FINAL APCH ON THE FIRST LNDG, SET THE ACFT DOWN, HAD A SLIGHT BOUNCE WHILE EXECUTING A 3 POINT LNDG. ADDED SLIGHT PWR TO ARREST THE BOUNCE SET THE PLANE BACK DOWN. IT WAS STRAIGHT. NO WIND TO SEE ON THE WINDSOCK. THE STICK WAS BACK AND THE PLANE WAS ROLLING OUT NORMAL AND STRAIGHT WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE NEXT INSTANT I WAS HEADED TO THE L WITH THE R WING DOWN. THE R TIRE LEAVING BLACK MARKS ON THE RWY AND DESPITE LETTING OFF THE BRAKES AND APPLYING RUDDER TO STRAIGHTEN THE ACFT. THE PLANE CONTINUED TO THE L IN A CURVING PATH AND RAN OFF THE RWY INTO THE GRASS WHERE IT STOPPED FACING BACK TOWARDS THE APCH END OF THE RWY. I CHKED THE GND LIGHTS, NO HITS ON ANYTHING. THE ENG WAS RUNNING CORRECTLY, THE WINGS HAD NOT CONTACTED THE GND. I THEN TAXIED BACK TO AN APRON AREA NEAR THE PLANE'S NORMAL TIE-DOWN SPOT VIA THE TXWY. I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND INSPECTED THE TIRES, BRAKES, PROP, WINGTIPS, NAV LIGHTS, RUDDER AREA AND TAILWHEEL AREA. I CHKED THE CTL OP. ALL ITEMS WERE FINE. I THEN STARTED THE PLANE, TAXIED OUT AND DID A COMPLETE RUN-UP. I TOOK OFF AND MADE 2 MORE UNEVENTFUL NORMAL 3 POINT LNDGS TO FULL STOP. I THEN TAXIED BACK AND TIED DOWN THE ACFT. I CAN ONLY FIGURE THAT I APPLIED DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING THAT STARTED THE LOW SPD SWING TO THE L THAT I WAS NOT SUBSEQUENTLY ABLE TO CTL. THE LACK OF CONSISTENT PRACTICE DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT.

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.

Attributes
ACN	449289
Time
Date	199909
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : eqy.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bird Dog 305/321
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 540 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	449289
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

While practicing lndgs, private pilot of a C305, bird dog, lost directional control of the aircraft during landing roll resulting in running off the side of the runway.