What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The 8020-9 stated ?after landing rwy 03L aircraft veered off the runway hitting a rut ending up nose down.?
N9063D is a 1958 Piper PA-18 150 owned by epps air service inc. at pdk. The aircraft is used for training and leisure for epps employees. This incident flight was for leisure (part 91) with passenger (A&P) in the front seat and PIC (ATP) in the rear seat. I traveled to epps on 12/01/2014 and inspected the aircraft and the records. I discovered that the left brake caliper was cracked at the elbow fitting boss. This caused the elbow fitting and brake line to separate from the caliper and subsequent left brake failure. I took written statements from the passenger and PIC. The pilot's statement reads as follows.
?While performing a normal landing the aircraft swerved right on rollout and did not respond to corrective inputs of brake or rudder to counteract the movement. The aircraft departed the runway on the right and subsequently nosed over from the drop off of the runway.?
The nose over condition caused the propeller to strike the ground and engine sudden stoppage. The left wing tip and left aileron also contacted the ground causing damage. The engine firewall appeared to be normal with no damage as the engine was at idle at the time of propeller strike. I classified this investigation as an incident due to the fact that the aircraft had minor damage, the left brake caliper failed, and the occupants were uninjured.
Summary and recommendation: in this inspector?s opinion, the major factor that led to the incident was the left brake caliper boss crack lead to the elbow fitting and brake line separation on rollout. This caused the left brake to release which made the aircraft swerve right off of the runway.
In regards to the left brake caliper failure, it is impossible to determine what caused the crack. The last maintenance performed was left caliper o-rings and brake linings changed on 05/20/2009. Possible causes could be that the caliper is over 30 years old and fatigued or the elbow fitting could have been over torqued. There was no visible corrosion inside the caliper boss.
As of 12/04/2014 epps ndt shop inspected the left brake caliper and confirmed it was cracked. Epps is going to file an SDR iaw CFR 145.221 for the brake caliper. They are also currently inspecting the left wing spar to determine its condition which may cause the status of this incident to change.
As of 01/06/2015 epps contacted this office and stated that the condition of the left wing spar was within tolerance and that they replaced a wing rib along with fabric repair. On 01/07/2015 I inspected and took photographs of the spar and concur the damage is minor. No change in incident classification and no further action necessary .
As the FAA filed it
THE 8020-9 STATED ?AFTER LANDING RWY 03L AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY HITTING A RUT ENDING UP NOSE DOWN.?
N9063D IS A 1958 PIPER PA-18 150 OWNED BY EPPS AIR SERVICE INC. AT PDK. THE AIRCRAFT IS USED FOR TRAINING AND LEISURE FOR EPPS EMPLOYEES. THIS INCIDENT FLIGHT WAS FOR LEISURE (PART 91) WITH PASSENGER (A&P) IN THE FRONT SEAT AND PIC (ATP) IN THE REAR SEAT. I TRAVELED TO EPPS ON 12/01/2014 AND INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE RECORDS. I DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER WAS CRACKED AT THE ELBOW FITTING BOSS. THIS CAUSED THE ELBOW FITTING AND BRAKE LINE TO SEPARATE FROM THE CALIPER AND SUBSEQUENT LEFT BRAKE FAILURE. I TOOK WRITTEN STATEMENTS FROM THE PASSENGER AND PIC. THE PILOT'S STATEMENT READS AS FOLLOWS.
?WHILE PERFORMING A NORMAL LANDING THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED RIGHT ON ROLLOUT AND DID NOT RESPOND TO CORRECTIVE INPUTS OF BRAKE OR RUDDER TO COUNTERACT THE MOVEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY ON THE RIGHT AND SUBSEQUENTLY NOSED OVER FROM THE DROP OFF OF THE RUNWAY.?
THE NOSE OVER CONDITION CAUSED THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE GROUND AND ENGINE SUDDEN STOPPAGE. THE LEFT WING TIP AND LEFT AILERON ALSO CONTACTED THE GROUND CAUSING DAMAGE. THE ENGINE FIREWALL APPEARED TO BE NORMAL WITH NO DAMAGE AS THE ENGINE WAS AT IDLE AT THE TIME OF PROPELLER STRIKE. I CLASSIFIED THIS INVESTIGATION AS AN INCIDENT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD MINOR DAMAGE, THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER FAILED, AND THE OCCUPANTS WERE UNINJURED.
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION: IN THIS INSPECTOR?S OPINION, THE MAJOR FACTOR THAT LED TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER BOSS CRACK LEAD TO THE ELBOW FITTING AND BRAKE LINE SEPARATION ON ROLLOUT. THIS CAUSED THE LEFT BRAKE TO RELEASE WHICH MADE THE AIRCRAFT SWERVE RIGHT OFF OF THE RUNWAY.
IN REGARDS TO THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER FAILURE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE CRACK. THE LAST MAINTENANCE PERFORMED WAS LEFT CALIPER O-RINGS AND BRAKE LININGS CHANGED ON 05/20/2009. POSSIBLE CAUSES COULD BE THAT THE CALIPER IS OVER 30 YEARS OLD AND FATIGUED OR THE ELBOW FITTING COULD HAVE BEEN OVER TORQUED. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE CORROSION INSIDE THE CALIPER BOSS.
AS OF 12/04/2014 EPPS NDT SHOP INSPECTED THE LEFT BRAKE CALIPER AND CONFIRMED IT WAS CRACKED. EPPS IS GOING TO FILE AN SDR IAW CFR 145.221 FOR THE BRAKE CALIPER. THEY ARE ALSO CURRENTLY INSPECTING THE LEFT WING SPAR TO DETERMINE ITS CONDITION WHICH MAY CAUSE THE STATUS OF THIS INCIDENT TO CHANGE.
AS OF 01/06/2015 EPPS CONTACTED THIS OFFICE AND STATED THAT THE CONDITION OF THE LEFT WING SPAR WAS WITHIN TOLERANCE AND THAT THEY REPLACED A WING RIB ALONG WITH FABRIC REPAIR. ON 01/07/2015 I INSPECTED AND TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SPAR AND CONCUR THE DAMAGE IS MINOR. NO CHANGE IN INCIDENT CLASSIFICATION AND NO FURTHER ACTION NECESSARY .
Other reports on N9063D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.