N8438B

On February 28, 2004, about 1030 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-236, N8438B, operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it contacted a utility pole during a landing roll at the Rust Landing Airstrip (II95) in Bourbon, Indiana. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and one passenger sustained no injuries. The local flight originated at the airstrip in Bourbon, Indiana, at 0945.

The pilot reported he used runway 09 (1,280 feet by 80 feet, grass) for the landing. He reported the grass runway was damp, not wet, and there is a slight upslope while landing to the east. The pilot reported the local winds were from 160 degrees at 5 miles per hour. He stated he touched down with the throttle at idle, in a full stall with full flaps and noticed he was having difficulty slowing the airplane. The pilot reported he applied "stand-on-the-brakes emergency stopping pressure," but he only received minimal braking. The airplane continued off the airstrip, across a country road, and onto a concrete driveway where the left wing contacted a utility pole swinging the airplane around 90 degrees prior to it stopping.

The pilot reported that according to tire marks on the airstrip, the right main gear touched down 272 feet past the runway threshold and the left main touched down 42 feet later. The airplane traveled 30 feet 6 inches past the departure end of the airstrip prior to contacting the utility pole. The pilot reported that although tire marks were visible on the airstrip, the only skid marks visible were when the airplane spun around after contacting the pole.

Examination of the airplane by an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration South Bend, Indiana, Flight Standards District Office revealed the brake disks (rotors) were worn to the point that they were concave. The inspector reported that only 20 percent of the brake pads were in contact with the disks.

The pilot purchased the airplane on October 1, 2003. The last annual inspection was dated September 27, 2003. The airframe logbook indicates that new brake linings were installed at the last annual inspection. The pilot reported he flew the airplane 46 hours prior to the accident. Logbook records show the brake disks were last replaced on January 7, 1994. The airplane had been operated 994 hours since that time. The pilot reported he did not experience any problems with the brakes prior to this accident.