Summary
On July 29, 2009, a Cessna 180 (N540RT) was involved in an incident near Buckland, AK. All 4 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The improper installation of the right brake cylinder, which allowed a portion of the cylinder to disengage and jam the right rudder/brake pedal, resulting in a loss of directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was an inadequate inspection of the brake system by maintenance personnel.
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal cross-country flight with three passengers when the accident occurred. The pilot said during the landing roll he noticed that the right main landing gear brake did not work. He said he tried to land straight ahead, but the airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and then ground-looped to the left. He reported that the right wing, aileron, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were damaged during the ground-loop. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC09CA075. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N540RT.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The improper installation of the right brake cylinder, which allowed a portion of the cylinder to disengage and jam the right rudder/brake pedal, resulting in a loss of directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was an inadequate inspection of the brake system by maintenance personnel.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal cross-country flight with three passengers when the accident occurred. The pilot said during the landing roll he noticed that the right main landing gear brake did not work. He said he tried to land straight ahead, but the airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and then ground-looped to the left. He reported that the right wing, aileron, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were damaged during the ground-loop. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot said an examination of the right brake revealed that the set-screw holding the right brake cylinder cap in place had not been properly installed, and allowed the cap to come off the cylinder, and jam the right rudder/brake pedal.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC09CA075