N74291 – BELLANCA 14-13-2 – 2011-03-15 NTSB Accident Report

On March 15, 2011, a Bellanca 14-13-2 (N74291) was involved in an incident near Mesquite, NV. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The malfunction of the brake system which led to the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

The pilot reported that the airplane had not been flown in several months, and during the preflight inspection, he found that the brake fluid reservoir was empty. The pilot filled the reservoir and reported good braking during taxi for takeoff. At the destination airport, the pilot chose to perform a practice short field landing. The pilot stated that he immediately applied the brakes after touchdown but there was no braking action. He then vigorously pumped the brakes in an attempt to still make a short field landing. The pilot reported that the right brake suddenly functioned, but the left one did not. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway to the right as there was insufficient rudder effectiveness to straighten the airplane's tracking.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR11CA165. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N74291.