Summary
On October 09, 2002, a Piper PA-20 (N7672K) was involved in an incident near Watkins, CO. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inability [not possible] to control the airplane during landing roll due to the failure of the left brake, and the subsequent inadvertent ground loop.
On October 9, 2002, at 1300 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-20, N7672K, was substantially damaged during a ground loop while landing at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight that originated from Sylvia, Kansas, approximately 2 hours 30 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
The assistant airport manager said the airplane was landing on runway 8. He said the airplane ground looped and exited the south side of the runway.
According to his accident report, the pilot said the left brake was "not there" on landing roll, and the right brake grabbed.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DEN03LA005. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7672K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's inability [not possible] to control the airplane during landing roll due to the failure of the left brake, and the subsequent inadvertent ground loop.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On October 9, 2002, at 1300 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-20, N7672K, was substantially damaged during a ground loop while landing at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight that originated from Sylvia, Kansas, approximately 2 hours 30 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
The assistant airport manager said the airplane was landing on runway 8. He said the airplane ground looped and exited the south side of the runway.
According to his accident report, the pilot said the left brake was "not there" on landing roll, and the right brake grabbed. He said a leakage of the left brake line was discovered upon examination of the airplane which resulted in the failure of the left brake.
The outboard 8 feet of the left wing was bent upward, and the tip of the left elevator was bent.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN03LA005