- Date
- July 29, 2009, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Buckland, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N540RTCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorgae, FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20090729047999A
- Case key
- 74408
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The improper installation of the right brake cylinder, which allowed a portion of the cylinder to disengage and jam the right rudder/brake pedal, resulting in a loss of directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was an inadequate inspection of the brake system by maintenance personnel.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal cross-country flight with three passengers when the accident occurred. The pilot said during the landing roll he noticed that the right main landing gear brake did not work. He said he tried to land straight ahead, but the airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and then ground-looped to the left. He reported that the right wing, aileron, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were damaged during the ground-loop. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot said an examination of the right brake revealed that the set-screw holding the right brake cylinder cap in place had not been properly installed, and allowed the cap to come off the cylinder, and jam the right rudder/brake pedal.
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal cross-country flight with three passengers when the accident occurred. The pilot said during the landing roll he noticed that the right main landing gear brake did not work. He said he tried to land straight ahead, but the airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and then ground-looped to the left. He reported that the right wing, aileron, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were damaged during the ground-loop. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The pilot said an examination of the right brake revealed that the set-screw holding the right brake cylinder cap in place had not been properly installed, and allowed the cap to come off the cylinder, and jam the right rudder/brake pedal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N540RT
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52-118
- Airframe hours
- 3,300
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Morgan Stanley L
- Registered owner
- Morgan Stanley L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 2009
- Departed
- PAOM · Nome, AK
- Destination
- AK75 · Buckland, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AK75 · Candle 2, runway 02, 3,900 × 100 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 6, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 28,800 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 28,000 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 826 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.