# NTSB DEN03LA005: Piper PA-20, N7672K, Watkins, CO, October 9, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 9, 2002, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC) - Place: Watkins, CO - Coordinates: 39.785278, -104.543334 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7853&lon=-104.5433&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 26, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Denver Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 55857 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN03LA005 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55857/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA005 ## Probable cause the pilot's inability [not possible] to control the airplane during landing roll due to the failure of the left brake, and the subsequent inadvertent ground loop. ## Analysis The assistant airport manager said the airplane was landing on runway 8. He said the airplane ground looped and exited the south side of the runway. According to his accident report, the pilot said the left brake was "not there" on landing roll, and the right brake grabbed. He said a leakage of the left brake line was discovered upon examination of the airplane which resulted in the failure of the left brake. The outboard 8 feet of the left wing was bent upward, and the tip of the left elevator was bent. ## Factual narrative On October 9, 2002, at 1300 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-20, N7672K, was substantially damaged during a ground loop while landing at Front Range Airport, Watkins, Colorado. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight that originated from Sylvia, Kansas, approximately 2 hours 30 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed. The assistant airport manager said the airplane was landing on runway 8. He said the airplane ground looped and exited the south side of the runway. According to his accident report, the pilot said the left brake was "not there" on landing roll, and the right brake grabbed. He said a leakage of the left brake line was discovered upon examination of the airplane which resulted in the failure of the left brake. The outboard 8 feet of the left wing was bent upward, and the tip of the left elevator was bent. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - ground loop/swerve - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - directional control - not possible, pilot in command (cause) - landing gear,normal brake system - failure,partial (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - runway - terrain condition - grass ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7672K](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7672K), registered now, S/N 20-493, built 1950 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-20 - Registry model: [Piper PA-20](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-20) (registry code 7102002) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-290 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (registry code 41506, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20-493 - Airframe hours: 4041 - Engines: Lycoming O-360 A4A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Robert K. Vasey - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 14, 2002, 30 hours before - Departed: 3TA, STAFFORD, KS - Destination: FTG, Watkins, CO - Airport: FTG, Front Range, runway 08, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 70; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review November 24, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 8,560 total, 2,520 in this make and model, 8,350 as pilot in command, 39 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 25 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: DEN, 8 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20021009026849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021009026849A), Oct 9, 2002: Piper PA20, Denver, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) Dr. Vasey stated he had the brakes bled several days prior to flying from sylvia, KS to the Front Range Airport. During taxi out in sylvia the brakes… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.