CEN24LA289

According to the pilot, she was on a multi-day cross-country flight in the experimental light sport airplane. Two days before the accident, she stopped for fuel and had the brakes serviced because she said the brakes were sticking while taxiing; she reported that the brakes worked fine after the maintenance was performed. The pilot continued the cross-country flight and stopped at another airport to refuel. The pilot reported that while taxiing from the fuel area to the runway, the right brake became inoperative, and the airplane veered off the taxiway and into the grass. The right landing gear strut broke, and the right wing sustained substantial damage. The brake system and the steering linkage for the nose landing gear were examined. No anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation of the brakes or steering. The investigators were unable to replicate the brake anomaly. At the time of the accident the wind was 140° at 11 knots, gusting to 19 knots. It is likely that during the taxi the pilot did not properly account for the gusting wind and lost directional control.

On July 29, 2024, about 1330 central daylight time, an Evektor Aerotechnik EV97 Harmony, N916SR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Midland, Texas. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. The airplane was on a multi-day cross-country flight at the time of the accident. The pilot made a fuel stop at Austin Executive Airport (EDC) in Austin, Texas, two days before the accident and had the main landing gear brakes serviced because she said the brakes were sticking while taxiing. Hydraulic fluid was added to the brake system and the pilot stated that the brakes worked following the maintenance. The airplane departed EDC on the day of the accident and landed without incident at Midland International Air and Space Port (MAF) in Midland, Texas, to refuel. The pilot reported that while taxiing from the fuel area to the runway for takeoff, the right brake became inoperative, and the airplane veered into the grass. The right main landing gear strut broke, and the right wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The brake system for the main landing gear was examined and no anomalies were noted. Additionally, the steering linkages for the nose landing gear assembly were inspected and full travel was achieved. At the time of the accident the wind was 140° at 11 knots gusting to 19 knots.