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19970918029279A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Coldfoot, AK · September 18, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 18, 1997 · 13:30 local
Place
Coldfoot, AK
Airport
Coldfoot Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2355H
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC97TA152
Reported as
Piper PA18150
Reported engine
Lycoming O320B2B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,550 total1,100 in this make and model97 in the last 90 days
N2355HRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7909175 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)The airplane had just received a 100-hour inspection from a contract maintenance facility. The pilot was landing the tundra tire, tailwheel-equipped airplane on a gravel runway. During the flight, the pilot utilized a short section of tubing to direct heater air at his feet. During the landing touchdown, the pilot discovered the brakes were locked. The tires skidded on the gravel surface of the runway and the left wing struck the ground. The pilot indicated the brakes remained locked for about 2 hours after the accident. At that time, the wheels turned normally. The airplane utilizes a separate master brake cylinder/brake pedal assembly for each main wheel brake. The master cylinder/brake pedals are located on the cockpit floor, adjacent to the rudder pedals. The brake cylinders are normally serviced by adding hydraulic brake fluid through a small cap on the top of each cylinder. Maintenance personnel from the operator reported that overservicing of the brake cylinders, and heating of the cylinder assembly produced a locked brake condition.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST RECEIVED A 100-HOUR INSPECTION FROM A CONTRACT MAINTENANCE FACILITY. THE PILOT WAS LANDING THE TUNDRA TIRE, TAILWHEEL-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE ON A GRAVEL RUNWAY. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT UTILIZED A SHORT SECTION OF TUBING TO DIRECT HEATER AIR AT HIS FEET. DURING THE LANDING TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT DISCOVERED THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED. THE TIRES SKIDDED ON THE GRAVEL SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT INDICATED THE BRAKES REMAINED LOCKED FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AT THAT TIME, THE WHEELS TURNED NORMALLY. THE AIRPLANE UTILIZES A SEPARATE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER/BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY FOR EACH MAIN WHEEL BRAKE. THE MASTER CYLINDER/BRAKE PEDALS ARE LOCATED ON THE COCKPIT FLOOR, ADJACENT TO THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE BRAKE CYLINDERS ARE NORMALLY SERVICED BY ADDING HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID THROUGH A SMALL CAP ON THE TOP OF EACH CYLINDER. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FROM THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT OVERSERVICING OF THE BRAKE CYLINDERS, AND HEATING OF THE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY PRODUCED A LOCKED BRAKE CONDITION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC97TA152Accident · No injuriesFinal reportColdfoot, AKThe overservicing/pressurizing of the hydraulic brake system by maintenance personnel that locked the brake system and prevented directional control.Sep 18, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2355H · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20070903020969ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Valdez, AK(-23) The pilot indicated that he landed on an off airport strip and had experienced an overly bumpy landing roll out. Careful examination of the off airport strip was made by the airman and the decision was made to takeoff on the smoother portion of the off…Sep 3, 2007 · Substantial damage