The pilot said that just as he was going to touch down on the runway at the airport in Cornelia, Georgia, the Piper PA 18-150 wanted to turn to the left. He applied right rudder, but it was not affective.
He applied full power and attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane would not gain lift.
It veered left off the runway and into the grass and was traveling towards a ditch. He applied one notch of flaps in an attempt to clear the ditch.
Subsequently the airplane’s main wheels came in contact with the ditch first and stopped immediately, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings.
The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
NTSB Identification: GAA15CA070
This April 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
A crosswind would not turn the airplane until it had touched down. Seems this pilot was not a good witness to what the plane was doing or even a competent crosswind pilot.The Piper Cub, just about ant tailwheel airplane, can require full rudder and aileron control input to control roll-out directional control.
Many pilots have never used full rudder.
The PA18 has heel brakes, something many pilots are not used to using.
What else was the pilot to do, to correct directional control?