- Date
- February 11, 2007, 16:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Elberton, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2335MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- ATL FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070211001849A
- Case key
- 65291
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 passenger's inadvertent application of the left brake during landing roll, which resulted in a swerve to the left and impact with trees.
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
According to the pilot, "Upon landing, [the] rear passenger had [his] foot on the brake causing [the] aircraft to dart to the left." The pilot further stated that he could not overcome the braking action with the rudder. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and collided with trees. Examination of the left wheel assembly revealed no binding or operational abnormalities with the left brake. There were no other mechanical problems reported by the pilot, or discovered during the postaccident examination of the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, "upon landing, [the] rear passenger had [his] foot on the brake causing [the] aircraft to dart to the left." The pilot further stated that he could not overcome the braking action with the rudder. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and collided with trees. Both the pilot and passenger reported no injuries.
Examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector found both wings substantially damaged. Further examination of the left wheel assembly revealed no binding or operational abnormalities with the left brake. There were no other mechanical problems reported by the pilot or discovered during the post-accident examination of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2335M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1400
- Airframe hours
- 1,830.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2006 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- GRD · Greenwood, SC
- Destination
- 27A · Elberton, GA
- Airport
- 27A · Elbert County-Patz Field, runway 28, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2005
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,484 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,324 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- AND, 24 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.