- Date
- September 5, 2011, 13:41 local (21:41 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5406CCessna 170A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110905018739A
- Case key
- 81701
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 fracture of a hydraulic brake line fitting due to incorrect installation of the brake line by the pilot/owner, which resulted in a loss of brake pressure and subsequent loss of directional control during the landing roll.
Findings · 2
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 pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, gravel runway at the conclusion of a local area flight. After landing, the pilot applied the brakes to slow the airplane, and, while depressing both brake pedals, the left brake pedal unexpectedly went to the floor. The airplane swerved to the right, went off the right side of the runway, and nosed over in an area of soft, marshy, wet tundra, sustaining substantial damage to the rudder, left wing, and left aileron. A postaccident examination revealed that a hydraulic brake supply line fitting near the airplane's fuselage had broken, which resulted in a loss of brake pressure to the left brake. The hydraulic brake line was not secured to the landing gear strut as required, which allowed the line to flex and bend at the fitting during flight. The pilot reported that he recently rebuilt the airplane himself.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, gravel runway at the conclusion of a local area flight. After landing, the pilot applied the brakes to slow the landing roll, and while depressing both brake pedals, the left brake pedal unexpectedly went to the floor, and the airplane swerved to the right. The airplane subsequently went off the right side of the runway and nosed over in an area of soft, marshy, wet tundra, sustaining substantial damage to the rudder, left wing, and left aileron. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector's postaccident inspection revealed that a hydraulic brake supply line fitting, near the airplane's fuselage, had broken. The FAA inspector noted that the hydraulic brake line was not secured to the landing gear strut as required, which allowed the line to flex and bend at the fitting during flight. The pilot reported the he recently rebuilt the airplane himself.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5406C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19440
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph Gugel
- Registered owner
- Joseph Gugel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Z71 · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Z71 · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- Z71 · Lake Hood Airstrip, runway 31, 2,200 × 75 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 106 total · 66 in this make and model · 75 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.03 inHg
- Observed at
- PALH
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 21, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 422 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.