# NTSB ANC01LA097: Piper PA-12, N7775H, Anchorage, AK, August 2, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 1, 2001, 19:13 local (Aug 2, 2001, 03:13 UTC) - Place: Anchorage, AK - Coordinates: 61.051109, -149.718612 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.0511&lon=-149.7186&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 2, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 53211 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC01LA097 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/53211/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC01LA097 ## Probable cause The loss of left brake pressure due to a missing hydraulic brake fitting. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, unknown - hydraulic system,fitting - missing (cause) - landing gear,normal brake system - inoperative (cause) - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - diminished, pilot in command - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - aborted - terrain condition - high vegetation - Nose over, landing - aborted ## Analysis The pilot reported he was attempting to land on a remote, rural airstrip he had landed on several times before. He said the airstrip is approximately 1000 feet long by 30 feet wide. After touchdown, the airplane veered to the right. He said he was unable to maintain directional control by using full left rudder and left brake, and attempted to abort the landing, but collided with brush. During the airplane's recovery, the pilot said he discovered that the left main wheel brake assembly was missing a hydraulic fitting which would have allowed the brake fluid pressure to drop. He said it appeared to him that the fitting vibrated loose in-flight, as his brakes worked fine during the preflight check and taxi. ## Factual narrative On August 1, 2001, about 1913 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N7775H, received substantial damage during a precautionary landing at a remote airstrip near Anchorage, Alaska. The private pilot/owner of the airplane and the two passengers were not injured. The personal flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight departed the Flying Crown airstrip, Anchorage, about 1900. In a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) on August 2, the pilot said he was landing at the ridge top airstrip because he noted an increase in cylinder head temperature, and wanted to land and check the engine. He noted that he had landed several times before without incident at the approximately 1000 feet long by 30 feet wide strip. He said he landed to the south, and the airplane may have bounced upon touchdown, and then it went sideways, towards the right edge of the strip. He said he applied full left rudder and brake, but the airplane continued toward the right side of the airstrip. He attempted to abort the landing by adding power, but the right wing and tires struck alders on the right side of the airstrip, and the airplane went off the side and slowly nosed over. The pilot contacted the NTSB IIC again on August 4, and indicated that the left brake hydraulic actuator was missing a fitting that may have come loose prior to the accident, allowing the loss of hydraulic fluid and causing the left brake to be ineffectual. In his written report to the NTSB dated August 20, the pilot checked the block "Yes" under the section, "Mechanical Failure" and wrote, in part: "bleeder valve from bottom of left brake caliper missing and assumed to have vibrated loose during flight." He noted the brakes functioned normally during preflight taxi and run-up. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7775H](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7775H), registered now, S/N 12-673, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-12 - Registry model: [Piper PA-12](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (registry code 7101202) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-235 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (registry code 41505, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 12-673 - Airframe hours: 2020 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-E3D 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Kelley B. Leseman - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 2, 2001, 15 hours before - Departed: Anchorage, AK - Airport: Old Baldy, runway 18, 1,000 × 30 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review April 19, 2001; seat: front; flight hours: 925 total, 550 in this make and model, 846 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 70 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010801039989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010801039989A), Aug 1, 2001: Piper PA12, Anchorage, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) Aircraft departed flying crown airport with two passengers at 1900 hours. Pilot flew to baldy mountain and circled twice. He stated he noticed the… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.