Pilot Debrief

GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR-SCHWEIZER G-164B near Beaufort, NC — 2013-07-08

Final reportERA13LA318
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Date
2013-07-08
Location
Beaufort, NC, USA
Aircraft
GRUMMAN ACFT ENG COR-SCHWEIZER G-164B
Registration
N6651K
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

A failure of the right brake for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination of the brake could not be performed.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing the airplane on a private airstrip to pick up a load of chemicals for another agricultural spraying flight. The pilot reported that the right brake felt "mushy" during the landing roll and that he pressed it to its maximum range (to the floor). The airplane began to veer to the left, and the pilot applied full power in an attempt to maintain control of the airplane; however, the left wingtip struck crops near the runway. Subsequently, the airplane turned to the left and came to rest in a ditch. The private airstrip was a 25-foot-wide by 2,000-foot-long paved runway with crops planted about 20 feet from the sides of the runway. The airplane was not made available for postaccident examination; however, the pilot noted that a new master cylinder and landing on a wider runway could have helped prevent this accident. A reason for the right brake failure could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have opted for a wider runway to avoid the accident.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

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