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20130530009799I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Maule M-7-235 · Petaluma, CA · May 30, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 30, 2013 · 16:15 local
Place
Petaluma, CA
Airport
Petaluma Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N90KD
Reported as
Maule M-7-235
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
19,400 total368 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

Airman privacy data omitted landed his aircraft while the parking brake was set, which resulted in a landing where the aircraft was subjected to a propeller strike on the runway. During the flight privacy data omitted attempted to turn on the cabin heat. He mistakenly pulled the parking brake lever. Once he realized his error he pushed the parking brake knob in and pulled the cabin heat knob. He was unaware that by actuating the parking brake lever on the panel he had applied the parking brakes, which remained applied even though the lever had been returned to the off position. The design of the parking brake system on this aircraft is, to engage the parking brakes by pulling the parking brake knob, then to disengage the parking brake system the lever is returned to the off position and then the toe brakes need to be actuated to allow for the parking brake system to retuned to the unlocked position. So, upon touchdown at Petaluma Airport N90KD, nosed over and the propeller struck the ground. The aircraft remained on the runway with the main wheels on the runway and the aircraft resting on the propeller and spinner for 20 to 30 minutes. No further structural damage to the airframe was noted. The sole occupant and pilot was uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED HIS AIRCRAFT WHILE THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET, WHICH RESULTED IN A LANDING WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBJECTED TO A PROPELLER STRIKE ON THE RUNWAY. DURING THE FLIGHT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO TURN ON THE CABIN HEAT. HE MISTAKENLY PULLED THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER. ONCE HE REALIZED HIS ERROR HE PUSHED THE PARKING BRAKE KNOB IN AND PULLED THE CABIN HEAT KNOB. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT BY ACTUATING THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ON THE PANEL HE HAD APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKES, WHICH REMAINED APPLIED EVEN THOUGH THE LEVER HAD BEEN RETURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. THE DESIGN OF THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS AIRCRAFT IS, TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKES BY PULLING THE PARKING BRAKE KNOB, THEN TO DISENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM THE LEVER IS RETURNED TO THE OFF POSITION AND THEN THE TOE BRAKES NEED TO BE ACTUATED TO ALLOW FOR THE PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM TO RETUNED TO THE UNLOCKED POSITION. SO, UPON TOUCHDOWN AT PETALUMA AIRPORT N90KD, NOSED OVER AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE MAIN WHEELS ON THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT RESTING ON THE PROPELLER AND SPINNER FOR 20 TO 30 MINUTES. NO FURTHER STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME WAS NOTED. THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND PILOT WAS UNINJURED.