# Incident 20260413003639I: Piper PA-34-200T, Talkeetna, AK, April 13, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 13, 2026, 11:30 local time
- Place: Talkeetna, AK
- Airport: Talkeetna
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: AA4S
- Location: 62.3214° N, 150.0927° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TALKEETNA (TKA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.3214&lon=-150.0927&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3974X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3974X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-200T
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,117 total, 95 in this make and model, 178 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260413003639I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT THE STUDENT LANDED AT APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET DOWN RUNWAY 19.  THE STUDENT APPLIED BRAKES AND DECLARED A LEFT BRAKE FAILURE, AND THE INSTRUCTOR ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE AIRCRAFT.  THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT APPLIED BRAKING ACTION AND AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED TAXIWAY A, APPLIED HARD BRAKING ACTION WITH THE RIGHT BRAKE, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO EXIT THE RUNWAY OFF THE RIGHT SIDE.  THE PILOT PULLED THE YOKE AFT, AND PULLED THE MIXTURE OFF JUST BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY.  DURING THE PREFLIGHT, THERE WAS NO APPARENT FLUID LEAKS ON THE GROUND UNDER THE LEFT BRAKE.  THIS WAS THE SECOND OF TWO FULL STOP LANDINGS.  THERE WERE NO BRAKING ANOMALIES NOTED DURING THE FIRST LANDING.  UPON POST-INCIDENT INSPECTION, THE BRAKE PADS WERE WORN BEYOND FUNCTIONAL USE, CAUSING ONE OF THE TWO PISTONS IN THE CALIPER TO OVEREXTEND PAST THE O-RING PACKING AND CAUSED THE BRAKE FAILURE VIA FLUID LEAK.  DUE TO THE HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAK, AND EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR, THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY FAILED.  THE MOST RECENT 100 HOUR INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON 03 DECEMBER, 2025 AT 13817.1 AIRCRAFT HOURS, APPROXIMATELY 80 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.  THE SUBJECT BRAKE PADS WERE INSTALLED DURING THE LAST 100 HOUR INSPECTION.

DURING THE INTERVIEW WITH THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HE STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE STUDENT TO GO AROUND WHEN THE APPROACH BECAME UNSTABLE AND HIS CONFIGURATION WAS 10 DEGREE FLAPS WITH EXTRA AIRSPEED. ADDITIONALLY, HE STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE USED NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND AERODYNAMIC BRAKING AFTER THE BRAKE FAILURE.

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.

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