Narrative:

I was PIC for the flight. The owner/builder of the aircraft was flying but had not yet received his tailwheel endorsement. The kit-built aircraft has a single main wheel (europa monowheel version), wing outriggers and a tailwheel. The landing on runway 27 occurred in calm wind at sunset with the sun directly in our eyes on final, but below the horizon at flare, touchdown and rollout. The touchdown line-up and attitude were ok with the stick full back. As we rolled out, I focused on our heading and did not notice that the stick back pressure had been relaxed. A right swerve developed and I applied full left rudder with no apparent effect. Apparently, the steerable tailwheel had lifted enough so that the only correcting force exerted was by the rudder, which by this time was ineffective because of minimal airflow over its surface. The aircraft departed the right side of the runway tracking about 45 degrees from runway heading. Unfortunately a standard taxiway direction sign was directly in our path. Although the sign sheared from its foundation, the mass of its heavy cast metal ends and other construction caused significant damage to the forward part of the aircraft. There were no injuries and the event was not reported (in accordance with NTSB 830). Subsequently, it was found that the brake assembly was positioned so that it rubbed heavily on the main tire and the resulting braking may have contributed somewhat to the inefficiency of the tailwheel steering during rollout. The brake assembly will be repositioned before next flight. It is clear that I should have ensured the stick was full back until we were stopped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOME BUILT SMA ACFT WENT OFF THE RWY AND HIT A TXWY SIGN.

Narrative: I WAS PIC FOR THE FLT. THE OWNER/BUILDER OF THE ACFT WAS FLYING BUT HAD NOT YET RECEIVED HIS TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT. THE KIT-BUILT ACFT HAS A SINGLE MAIN WHEEL (EUROPA MONOWHEEL VERSION), WING OUTRIGGERS AND A TAILWHEEL. THE LNDG ON RWY 27 OCCURRED IN CALM WIND AT SUNSET WITH THE SUN DIRECTLY IN OUR EYES ON FINAL, BUT BELOW THE HORIZON AT FLARE, TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT. THE TOUCHDOWN LINE-UP AND ATTITUDE WERE OK WITH THE STICK FULL BACK. AS WE ROLLED OUT, I FOCUSED ON OUR HDG AND DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE STICK BACK PRESSURE HAD BEEN RELAXED. A R SWERVE DEVELOPED AND I APPLIED FULL L RUDDER WITH NO APPARENT EFFECT. APPARENTLY, THE STEERABLE TAILWHEEL HAD LIFTED ENOUGH SO THAT THE ONLY CORRECTING FORCE EXERTED WAS BY THE RUDDER, WHICH BY THIS TIME WAS INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE OF MINIMAL AIRFLOW OVER ITS SURFACE. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE R SIDE OF THE RWY TRACKING ABOUT 45 DEGS FROM RWY HDG. UNFORTUNATELY A STANDARD TXWY DIRECTION SIGN WAS DIRECTLY IN OUR PATH. ALTHOUGH THE SIGN SHEARED FROM ITS FOUNDATION, THE MASS OF ITS HVY CAST METAL ENDS AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD PART OF THE ACFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE EVENT WAS NOT RPTED (IN ACCORDANCE WITH NTSB 830). SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY WAS POSITIONED SO THAT IT RUBBED HEAVILY ON THE MAIN TIRE AND THE RESULTING BRAKING MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED SOMEWHAT TO THE INEFFICIENCY OF THE TAILWHEEL STEERING DURING ROLLOUT. THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY WILL BE REPOSITIONED BEFORE NEXT FLT. IT IS CLR THAT I SHOULD HAVE ENSURED THE STICK WAS FULL BACK UNTIL WE WERE STOPPED.

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.