Pilot Debrief

SOKO GALEB G 2 near Elko, NV — 2018-02-21

Final reportWPR18LA094
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Date
2018-02-21
Location
Elko, NV, USA
Airport
EKO
Aircraft
SOKO GALEB G 2
Registration
N90SR
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

An improperly installed brake cylinder, which resulted in insufficient hydraulic pressure being provided to three of the brake cylinders and the left brake being inoperable during landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, upon initial landing the airplane, the left brake was inoperative, and he chose to conduct a go-around and set up for a single-brake landing. The subsequent landing was uneventful, but the left brake was still inoperative. The pilot reported that, with about 1,500 ft of runway remaining, he chose to veer the airplane off the runway to the right to avoid running off the end. Subsequently, the airplane struck a drainage ditch berm, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Examination and disassembly of the hydraulically driven left brake assembly revealed that the No. 2 brake cylinder had not been properly installed, which allowed the brake pucks to move and resulted in three of them separating from the brake assembly. The separation of the brake pucks resulted in the No. 2 cylinder's piston being moved to the full-scale inward position. Subsequently, the No. 2 cylinder's piston then fully deflected, which resulted in a hydraulic leak that subsequently led to insufficient hydraulic pressure being provided to the other brake cylinders and subsequently to the left brake being inoperative during landing.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing due to left brake inoperative.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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