- Date
- January 6, 1995, 18:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dutch Harbor, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4492HPiper PA-17
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950106044109A
- Case key
- 2623
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 partial failure of the right brake due to a leaky brake line.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Upon landing, the airplane started to turn to the right and the pilot applied left rudder and left brake and corrected the turn. The airplane then began to turn left and the pilot applied right brake and rudder. The right brake did not respond and the airplane ground looped. The right main gear collapsed and the right wing struck the runway. A pressure check and examination of the right brake system showed a leak from an original Piper manufactured brake line that was connected to the master cylinder.
Factual narrative
On January 6, 1995, at 1815 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-17 airplane, N4492H, registered to Ross Nixon and operated by the pilot, ground looped during landing at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Dutch Harbor for a local flight. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private certificated pilot and his passenger were not injured and the airplane received substantial damage.
According to the pilot, during the landing roll the airplane began to veer gently to the right and he corrected by applying left rudder. The airplane then began to veer to the left and he applied right rudder. When the airplane did not respond, he applied right brake. The application of the right brake had no effect on the ground track of the airplane. The airplane continued to turn to the left and the right main gear collapsed. The right wing dragged the ground.
A pressure check and examination of the brake system showed that the brake line leading to the master cylinder was leaking. The brake line was an original Piper manufactured brake line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4492H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-17
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15-280
- Airframe hours
- 2,830
- Engine
- Continental C85-8, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William R. Coon
- Registered owner
- Ross Nixon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 30, 1994 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- DUT
- Airport
- DUT · Dutch Harbor, runway 30, 3,900 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 187 total · 2 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4492H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.