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20140604007089I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172S · Van Nuys, CA · June 4, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 4, 2014 · 08:13 local
Place
Van Nuys, CA
Airport
Van Nuys
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5199J
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-L2A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
474 total232 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N5199JRegistered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S9097 · Built 2002Airframe modelCessna 172SEngine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

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.

While taxiing northbound on taxi way alpha to the run up area, the pilot stated the plane suddenly and uncontrollably veered to the left and impacted the blast fence. The pilot stated that the brakes felt mushy, especially the left one. Brake tests were done while taxiing to the run up area with no problems. The pilot thought that the left brake froze or the right brake failed.

While taxiing into the run up area, the pilot miss judged the distance of the left wing and the blast fence. The left wing made contact with the blast fence causing the aircraft to skid nose first into the blast fence. There was about three feet of damage to the blast fence from the left wing. There were skid marks from all three tires after the left wing hit the fence. The marks continued until the aircraft hit the fence. The skid marks indicate the aircraft was too close to the fence for the left wing to clear.

Inspection of the brake system could not find any issues. The left tire did not have flat spots that would be consistent with a locked brake. The brake system did not have any indication of a failure.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE TAXIING NORTHBOUND ON TAXI WAY ALPHA TO THE RUN UP AREA, THE PILOT STATED THE PLANE SUDDENLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY VEERED TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED THE BLAST FENCE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FELT MUSHY, ESPECIALLY THE LEFT ONE. BRAKE TESTS WERE DONE WHILE TAXIING TO THE RUN UP AREA WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE PILOT THOUGHT THAT THE LEFT BRAKE FROZE OR THE RIGHT BRAKE FAILED.

WHILE TAXIING INTO THE RUN UP AREA, THE PILOT MISS JUDGED THE DISTANCE OF THE LEFT WING AND THE BLAST FENCE. THE LEFT WING MADE CONTACT WITH THE BLAST FENCE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SKID NOSE FIRST INTO THE BLAST FENCE. THERE WAS ABOUT THREE FEET OF DAMAGE TO THE BLAST FENCE FROM THE LEFT WING. THERE WERE SKID MARKS FROM ALL THREE TIRES AFTER THE LEFT WING HIT THE FENCE. THE MARKS CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE FENCE. THE SKID MARKS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE FENCE FOR THE LEFT WING TO CLEAR.

INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES. THE LEFT TIRE DID NOT HAVE FLAT SPOTS THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH A LOCKED BRAKE. THE BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT HAVE ANY INDICATION OF A FAILURE.