# Accident 20010423009139A: Amtr CAP232, La Porte, TX, April 23, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 23, 2001, 12:45 local time - Place: La Porte, TX - Airport: La Porte Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.6593° N, 95.0392° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6593&lon=-95.0392&mi=10 - Aircraft: N232DG, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N232DG-2001-10-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cap CAP 232 (registry code 05607JK, https://openairdocs.org/model/cap-cap-232) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 series (registry code 41568, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR CAP232 - Reported engine: LYC IO540* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 7,300 total, 70 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA102) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010423009139A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON APRIL 23, 2001, AT 1245 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CAP 232 AEROBATIC AIRPLANE, N232DG, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE TAXIING AT THE LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LAPORTE, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, EVACUATED THE BURNING AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. (-23)ON APRIL 23, 2001, AT 1245 CDT, A CAP 232, N232DG, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE TAXIING AT THE LAPORTE AIRPORT (T41), LAPORTE, TEXAS. THE COMMERICAL PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, EVACUATED THE BURNING AIRPLANE AND WAS NOT INJURED. VMC CONDITION PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. (.4)ON APRIL 23, 2001, AT 1245 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CAP 232 EXPERIMENTAL ACROBATIC AIRPLANE, N232DG, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE TAXIING AT THE LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPOR T, LAPORTE, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, EVACUATED THE BURNING AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN CHARGE, THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE WAS RETRIEVING HER AIRPLANE AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. A LINEMAN PUSHED (BY HAND) THE AIRCRAFT FROM A HANGAR AND HAD IT FUELED. SHE THEN BOARDED, STARTED THE ENGINE, AND BEGAN TO TAXI FROM THE RAMP. ABOUT HALF-WAY DOWN THE TAXIWAY, TOWARD THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, SHE NOTICED THAT SHE WAS USING "A LOT" OF POWER TO TAXI DOWNWIND. DURING THE TAXI, THE "BRAKES SEEMED TO BE OKAY" AS THEY ASSISTED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL "NORMALLY" DURING TURNS. THE PILOT THEN STOPPED AND TURNED INTO THE WIND TO SEE IF THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED. THE BRAKE HANDLE WAS NOT "OUT" (ON) SO SHE PULLED IT OUT AND TAPPED THE BRAKES TO RELEASE IT, REPEATING THE PROCEDURE "4 OR 5 TIMES." AFTER CALLING ON UNICOM FREQUENCY FOR ASSISTANCE, SHE STARTED TO TAXI BACK TO THE HANGAR. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE RAMP, THE RIGHT BRAKE FAILED. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT AND THE PILOT STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT. AS AIRPORT PERSONNEL APPROACHED THE AIRCRAFT ON A GOLF CART, THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. SHE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND ATTEMPTED TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON THE WHEEL THAT WAS IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DID NOT EXTINGUISH, SO BOTH SHE AND THE AIRPORT PERSONNEL BACKED AWAY AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. THE FIRE DAMAGE WAS TOO EXTENSIVE TO DISCERN SPECIFIC ANOMALIES WITH THE NORMAL AND PARKING BRAKE SYSTEMS. ## 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 FTW01LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA102), Apr 23, 2001: Cap 232 (N232DG), Laporte, TX, destroyed. Probable cause: Failure of the brake system during taxi. A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to continue taxiing after discovering the brakes were not functioning normally. 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.