Amateur-built 77 N60DE accident near Phoenix, Arizona

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper application of brakes.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during rollout from a practice landing on runway 25L in his amateur-built, experimental biplane, he may have applied unequal toe brake pressure. The pilot stated that he lost directional control of the airplane, and while decelerating it swerved about 60 degrees sideways from the runway's centerline. During the mishap, the right main landing gear collapsed under the fuselage and the lower right wing impacted the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical failures with the airplane at the time of the accident. At the time, the surface wind was light and variable. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and reported that the outboard portion of the lower right wing's aft spar was cracked.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09CA081 for the full record.