What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot reported in a written statement that he flew from the mcclellan airport to the Grass Valley airport and upon landing on the second attempt he found that the left brake would not function and he had no nosewheel steering. The aircraft veered to the right departing the runway paved surface near the visual approach lights for the reciprocal runway.
Photographs of the aircraft show that it came to rest inverted at the bottom of the embankment on the north shoulder of the runway.
Ground scars left by the aircraft's landing gear indicate the aircraft departed the runway paved surface approximately 4050 feet from the landing runway 25 threshold.
FAA was requested to examine the accident aircraft by the NTSB. Examination of the brakes revealed that left and right both functioned normally and would have provided normal operation prior to the accident sequence. Examination of the nose gear oleo strut showed no obstruction to rotation of the nose gear and that the left and right steering rods were attached with continuity to the left and right rudder pedals. Damage to the tips of the propeller indicate the engine was operational prior to the accident sequence.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT REPORTED IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT HE FLEW FROM THE MCCLELLAN AIRPORT TO THE GRASS VALLEY AIRPORT AND UPON LANDING ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT HE FOUND THAT THE LEFT BRAKE WOULD NOT FUNCTION AND HE HAD NO NOSEWHEEL STEERING. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT DEPARTING THE RUNWAY PAVED SURFACE NEAR THE VISUAL APPROACH LIGHTS FOR THE RECIPROCAL RUNWAY.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOW THAT IT CAME TO REST INVERTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMBANKMENT ON THE NORTH SHOULDER OF THE RUNWAY.
GROUND SCARS LEFT BY THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY PAVED SURFACE APPROXIMATELY 4050 FEET FROM THE LANDING RUNWAY 25 THRESHOLD.
FAA WAS REQUESTED TO EXAMINE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT BY THE NTSB. EXAMINATION OF THE BRAKES REVEALED THAT LEFT AND RIGHT BOTH FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AND WOULD HAVE PROVIDED NORMAL OPERATION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE GEAR OLEO STRUT SHOWED NO OBSTRUCTION TO ROTATION OF THE NOSE GEAR AND THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT STEERING RODS WERE ATTACHED WITH CONTINUITY TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT RUDDER PEDALS. DAMAGE TO THE TIPS OF THE PROPELLER INDICATE THE ENGINE WAS OPERATIONAL PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.