- Date
- July 10, 1997, 07:15 local (12:15 UTC)
- Place
- Murfreesboro, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N45CWBeech 55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970710018179A
- Case key
- 3871
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 failure of the aircraft braking system due to low brake pressure resulting from the undetermined loss of brake fluid from the brake reservoir.
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
While applying brakes on the landing roll, the left brake pedal collapsed, and the airplane started drifting to the right of the runway centerline. The pilot applied right engine throttle to correct for the right drift condition. The airplane rolled off the right side of the 3,800-foot-long runway approximately 3,800 feet down the runway. An examination of the left brake assembly at the accident site revealed that there was no brake fluid in the left reservoir. The left brake assembly functioned normally during subsequent testing. There were no obvious signs of fluid leakage on the reservoir or brake assemblies. A review of the aircraft maintenance logs revealed that an annual inspection had been completed on the airplane about 55 hours before the accident. The maintenance logs stated that the airplane brakes were serviced during the last annual inspection.
Factual narrative
On July 10, 1997, at 0715 central daylight time, a Beech 55, N45CW, veered off the right side of runway 18, collided with runway lights and signs, and collapsed the nose gear during a full stop landing at the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The business flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight clearance. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial rated pilot and her passenger were not injured. The flight departed Arlington, Tennessee, at 0600.
According to the pilot, the approach profile appeared to have been normal to touchdown. After touchdown, and while applying brakes on the landing roll, the left brake pedal collapsed, and the airplane started drifting to the right of the runway centerline. The pilot applied right engine throttle to correct for the right drift condition. The airplane rolled off the right side of the 3800 foot long runway approximately 3800 feet down the runway.
A review of the aircraft maintenance logs revealed that an annual inspection had been completed on the airplane about 55 hours before the accident. The maintenance logs stated that the airplane brakes were serviced during the last annual inspection. An examination of the left brake assembly at the accident site revealed that there was no brake fluid in the left reservoir. The left brake assembly functioned normally during subsequent testing. There were no obvious signs of fluid leakage on the brake or reservoir assemblies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45CW
- Reported as
- Beech 55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-1319
- Airframe hours
- 2,680
- Engine
- Continental IO-470, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Universal Asset Management
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 30, 1997 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- LHC · Arlington, TN
- Destination
- MBT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MBT · Murfreesboro Municipal, runway 18, 3,898 × 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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 140 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MBT, 360 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.