# Accident 19971118034189A: Naval N3N3, Spruce Pine, NC, November 18, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 18, 1997, 15:00 local time - Place: Spruce Pine, NC - Airport: Avery Morrison - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.9092° N, 82.0607° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9092&lon=-82.0607&mi=10 - Aircraft: N45018, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N45018) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 (registry code 6120202, https://openairdocs.org/model/naval-aircraft-factory-n3n-3) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming R680 (registry code 41540, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-r680) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: NAVAL N3N3 - Reported engine: LYC R68013 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 16,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA027) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971118034189A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. APPROACH WAS TOO FAST TOUCHED DOWN LATE APPLIED BRAKES HARD. SKIDDED OFF RUNWAY NOSED OVER BOTTOM OF EMBANKMENT. (.4)WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH 20 MPH ABOVE THE NORMAL APPROACH SPEED, THE AIRPLANE FLOATED AND LANDED PAST THE 1/3 PORTION OF THE RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE PILOT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE LEFT BRAKE LOCKED UP AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY THEN NOSED OVER. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT BRAKE REVEALED THAT THE BRAKE TO ROTOR CLEARANCE WAS GREATER THAN THE ADJUSTMENT LIMITS. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE LEFT BRAKE MALFUNCTION; HOWEVER, WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS UPRIGHTED AND TOWED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE LEFT BRAKE REMAINED ENGAGED. (-23)ON NOVEMBER 17, 1997, ^PRIVACY DA^, A CERTIFICATED PILOT AND OWNER/OPERATOR OF AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION NUMBER N45018, DEPARTED GREENVILLE, TN. AT ABOUT 1430 EST ENROUTE TO AVERY COUNTY AIRPORT, LOCATED NEAR SPRUCE PINES, NC. WHILE LANDING AT AVERY COUNTY AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAVED 3,000 FEET RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN AT THE B OTTOM OF A STEEP EMBANKMENT. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVIDENT DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WHICH WAS CRUSHED AT THE TOP HALF WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. ALSO, AN AREA ON THE LOWER RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE (INBOARD) EXPERIENCED DAMAGE TO THE SKIN AND RIBS. THE PROP TIPS WERE BENT WHEN THEY CONTACTED THE RUNWAY DURING BRAKING ACTION. SEVERAL HASH MARKS WERE OBSERVED IN THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT WHERE THE PROP STRUCK. THERE WERE OTHER AREAS OF MINOR DAMAGE WHICH WERE OBSERVED AND THE PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE INSPECTOR. THE INVESTIGATION INSPECTOR RECEIVED TWO CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS OF HOW THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FIRST ACCOUNT WAS OBTAINED ON NOVEMBER 21, 1997, DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT WHICH WAS CONDUCTED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. DURING THIS INTERVIEW THE PILOT TOLD THE INSPECTOR THAT HE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY TOO FAST, 100 KNOTS, VERSES THE USUAL 80 KNOTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT INDICATED HE DID NOT TOUCH DOWN UNTIL AFTER PASSING THE FIRST ONE-THIRD THE USUAL 80 KNOTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE BELIEVED HE APPLIED THE BRAKES HARDER ON THE LEFT WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO PULL TO THE LEFT AND LEAV E THE RUNWAY, FURTHER STATING THAT HE BELIEVED THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE SECOND ACCOUNT WAS OBTAINED ON NOVEMBER 25, 1997, IN THE FORM OF A HAND WRITTEN LETTER BY THE PILOT. THE LETTER INDICATED THAT HIS APPROACH AND LANDING WERE NORMAL UP TO THE POINT OF APPLYING HIS BRAKES, ONCE APPLIED, THE LEFT BRAKE LOCKED UP AND PULLED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY FLIPPING IT OVER ONTO IT'S BACK. THIS OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH COMPELLING EVIDENCE TO ESTABLISH WHICH ACCOUNT MENTIONED ABOVE, IS FACTUAL. HOWEVER, IT IS KNOWN THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ONLY 120 FEET SHY OF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. ADDITIONALLY, AT ABOUT 500 FOOT REMAINING MARK ON THE RUNWAY, THEIR WAS EVIDENCE THAT BOTH BRAKES HAD BEEN APPLIED HARD AS THERE WERE SKID MARKS AND CHUNKS OF PAVEMENT MISSING WHERE THE PROP CONTACTED THE PAVEMENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA98LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA027), Nov 18, 1997: Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 (N45018), Spruce Pine, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The unintentional locking-up of the left brake for undetermined reasons resulting in the on ground loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the inability of the pilot to maintain directional… ## Other reports on N45018 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19800428010559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800428010559A), Apr 28, 1980: Naval N3N3 (N45018), Pendleton, OR, Substantial damage. Ran out of fuel while returning to home base. Landed in plowed field. Nosed over. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.