Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 402 near Ft. Lauderdale, FL — 2023-04-09

Final reportERA23LA189
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Date
2023-04-09
Location
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Airport
FLL
Aircraft
CESSNA 402
Registration
N404PJ
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot’s ineffective use of the airplane’s brakes, which resulted in a runway overrun.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of the multi-engine airplane was attempting to land on an 8,000-ft-long runway at the conclusion of an on-demand air taxi flight. He stated that the airplane touched down on the wet runway about midfield and the left brake did not work. The airplane subsequently travelled off the end of the runway into an engineered materials arresting system, where it came to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the airplane occurred in the pilot’s hangar 2 days after the accident. By that time, the pilot had begun repairs without authorization. The pilot stated that he removed and shipped the left brake assembly out for service; however, he could not provide the location of where the left brake assembly was sent. The examination also found that the left main landing gear tire displayed a large flat spot. Because left brake was not available for examination, its condition and functionality could not be evaluated. However, the large flat spot observed on the tire suggested that the brake was functioning, and that the wheel was likely skidding on the wet runway during the roll, and thus not able to effectively slow the airplane.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have opted for a go-around instead of landing with a malfunctioning brake.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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