What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Brakes malfunction on landing. Caused a nosed over on the runway. (.4) after releasing the glider the pilot returned to the airport for a full stop landing. While on final approach the pilot stated that the windsock showed a slight right crosswind, and that he was high on the approach, so he initiated a right wing side slip. After transitioning from the side slip, to a full stall three point landing, the airplane touched down, and then immediately nosed over and came to a stop inverted on the runway. During a conversation with the mechanic performing the post-accident repairs on the airplane, stated that there were no apparent problems with the aircraft brakes. The airplane was moved, on the airport, subsequent to the accident, without difficulty. The mechanic also stated that he was told that the airplane's parking brake handle was possibly pulled in flight. He further stated that when the parking brake handle is pulled in flight, and once the pilot started the landing roll braking action, the main landing gear brakes will lock. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane. (-23) on June 12, 1998, at approximately 1600 hrs CST (2100 gmt), a bellanc a model scout, N53954, operating as a 14 CFR 91 glider towing flight experienced a landing accident where the plane flipped over after touchdown at the coastal airport, near Pensacola, FL. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Winds were not exceeding ten knots. The pilot had made his towing flight and was returning to land at his home airport. He was intending to land on runway 18. After a seemingly normal approach and flare, he touched down and felt as if the brakes were locked. He then felt the plane's nose come down and the plane flipped over on it's back. The engine was turning at idle speed on touchdown and the prop was bent due to runway contact. After the accident the pilot shut down the engine and exited the plane, suffering no injuries during the accident or the evacuation. Although post accident investigation did not reveal an obvious brake malfunction, it appears they had failed in the locked position. Airman compentency was not a factor.
As the FAA filed it
BRAKES MALFUNCTION ON LANDING. CAUSED A NOSED OVER ON THE RUNWAY. (.4) AFTER RELEASING THE GLIDER THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WINDSOCK SHOWED A SLIGHT RIGHT CROSSWIND, AND THAT HE WAS HIGH ON THE APPROACH, SO HE INITIATED A RIGHT WING SIDE SLIP. AFTER TRANSITIONING FROM THE SIDE SLIP, TO A FULL STALL THREE POINT LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY NOSED OVER AND CAME TO A STOP INVERTED ON THE RUNWAY. DURING A CONVERSATION WITH THE MECHANIC PERFORMING THE POST-ACCIDENT REPAIRS ON THE AIRPLANE, STATED THAT THERE WERE NO APPARENT PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT BRAKES. THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED, ON THE AIRPORT, SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT, WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRPLANE'S PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WAS POSSIBLY PULLED IN FLIGHT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE IS PULLED IN FLIGHT, AND ONCE THE PILOT STARTED THE LANDING ROLL BRAKING ACTION, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR BRAKES WILL LOCK. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON JUNE 12, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HRS CST (2100 GMT), A BELLANC A MODEL SCOUT, N53954, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 91 GLIDER TOWING FLIGHT EXPERIENCED A LANDING ACCIDENT WHERE THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER AFTER TOUCHDOWN AT THE COASTAL AIRPORT, NEAR PENSACOLA, FL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. WINDS WERE NOT EXCEEDING TEN KNOTS. THE PILOT HAD MADE HIS TOWING FLIGHT AND WAS RETURNING TO LAND AT HIS HOME AIRPORT. HE WAS INTENDING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 18. AFTER A SEEMINGLY NORMAL APPROACH AND FLARE, HE TOUCHED DOWN AND FELT AS IF THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED. HE THEN FELT THE PLANE'S NOSE COME DOWN AND THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BACK. THE ENGINE WAS TURNING AT IDLE SPEED ON TOUCHDOWN AND THE PROP WAS BENT DUE TO RUNWAY CONTACT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE PLANE, SUFFERING NO INJURIES DURING THE ACCIDENT OR THE EVACUATION. ALTHOUGH POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL AN OBVIOUS BRAKE MALFUNCTION, IT APPEARS THEY HAD FAILED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. AIRMAN COMPENTENCY WAS NOT A FACTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N53954 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.