- Date
- September 15, 1995, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pasadena, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4977CSnow S2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950915029869A
- Case key
- 9082
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 pilot's inability to maintain directional control due to the failure of the right brake during the landing roll.
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
A banner tow airplane veered off the left side of the runway during the landing roll, and collided with an automobile and a parked airplane. The pilot reported that the aircraft has a lockable non-steering tailwheel, which was locked for the landing. He stated that when he applied both brakes to stop the airplane, it began to veer to the left. He attempted to correct by applying more right brake, but the airplane continued off the left side of the runway. Postaccident examination revealed that the right brake had failed. Records indicated that the airplane had flown approximately 10 hours since the most recent Annual Inspection, completed 13 days prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
On September 15, 1995, at about 1415 eastern daylight time, a Snow S2A, N4977C, veered off the left side of the runway while landing at Mountain Road Airport, Pasadena, Maryland. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was being operated as a banner tow flight under 14 CFR 91 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that during the landing roll as he applied the brake, the airplane veered 30 degrees to the left. He stated that he attempted to correct by applying full right brake, but he was unsuccessful. The airplane continued to veer to the left and exited the runway where it collided with a tree, an automobile and a parked airplane.
The FAA Inspector reported that he examined the airplane after the accident and he observed that the right brake had failed. Further examination of the right brake did not disclose the cause of the failure. The pilot reported that the most recent inspection of the airplane was an Annual Inspection, dated September 2, 1995. The airplane had flown approximately 10 hours since the Annual Inspection.
According to the pilot this aircraft is equipped with a lockable non-steering tailwheel. At the time of the accident the tailwheel was locked.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4977C
- Reported as
- Snow S2A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1020
- Engine
- P&W R985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brian Lee Corcoran
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 2, 1995 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- MD43
- Airport
- MD43 · Mountain Road, runway 8, 1,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 33
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,170 total · 60 in this make and model · 2,120 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 20 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.