- Date
- September 8, 2001, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- St. George, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52043Cessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010908025789A
- Case key
- 53455
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
brake system failure for reasons undetermined, which resulted in a loss of control on landing.
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
When the private pilot receiving instruction applied brakes after landing, only the right brake operated; the left brake pedal "went to the floor with no braking." The instructor took over and began pumping the brakes in an attempt to restore brake system pressure. The airplane went off the side of the runway, but he was able to return it to the runway. It went off the side of the runway again, slid on gravel, struck a rock and nosed over. Post accident examination revealed the right brake assembly was damaged, precluding a definitive assessment.
Factual narrative
On September 8, 2001, approximately 1400 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N52043, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain and nosed over during landing roll at St. George, Utah. The flight instructor and the private pilot receveing instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed St. George at 1330.
According to the flight instructor's accident report, the landing was normal until the private pilot applied brakes to decelerate. He told the instructor that he was having a problem, and the instructor took control of the airplane. When the instructor applied pressure to the toe brakes, only the right brake operated; the left brake pedal "went to the floor with no braking." He then began pumping the brakes in an attempt to restore brake system pressure. The airplane went off the side of the runway, but the instructor was able to return it to the runway. It went off the side of the runway again, slid on gravel, struck a rock, and nosed over.
According to an FAA inspector, two sets of skid marks were noted, one set was located just past the point where the airplane touched down, and the other where the airplane departed the runway. A mechanic was asked to examine the airplane's brake system. The airplane was up righted and placed on its landing gear. The right brake assembly was bent and the brake line was damaged, precluding a definitive assessment. Brake fluid had leaked out, and the reservoir was empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52043
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG1149
- Airframe hours
- 4,933
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David K. Houston
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 30, 2001 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- SGU · St. George, UT
- Destination
- SGU · St. George, UT
- Airport
- SGU · St. George Municipal, runway 16, 6,606 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 915 total · 50 in this make and model · 840 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 23, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 57 total · 17 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- SGU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.