GRUMMAN G164 near Edison, GA — 2010-10-01

Final reportERA11LA011

Date: 2010-10-01
Location: Edison, GA, USA
Aircraft: GRUMMAN G164
Registration: N48417
Category: Airplane
Highest injury: None
Fatalities: 0
Phase of flight: Landing

Probable cause

Leakage of hydraulic fluid from the internal fuselage line fitting, resulting in a subsequent loss of the right brake’s effectiveness.

NTSB narrative

During a routine agricultural application flight, the pilot noted that the right rudder pedal felt soft. He returned to the airport at the conclusion of the flight and, just after touchdown, applied pressure to both brake pedals to stop the airplane; while the left brake operated normally, the right brake was ineffective. The airplane subsequently departed the runway and was substantially damaged. A postaccident examination revealed evidence of brake fluid leakage at the internal fuselage hydraulic line fitting. No reliable determination of the brake fluid quantity prior to the accident could be made as the right brake system had been compromised during the accident, but testing of the system with replacement fluid lines showed normal operation.