- Date
- April 29, 2007, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Westminster, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N28989Piper PA-28-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20070429014769A
- Case key
- 65789
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 failure to maintain directional control.
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
The pilot was making touch-and-go landings on runway 34 (5,100 ft X 100 ft, asphalt). The pilot said that when he landed, the left brake "stuck" and caused the left tire to skid. He said the nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the runway, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. An FAA inspector could find no discrepancies with the brake system. His report indicated "no binding or sticking" and the brakes worked normally. "The piston in the left caliper worked freely and the caliper could float. There were no flat spots or damage noted on the left tire to indicate a brake may have stuck or was dragging." The brake lining, however, was considerably worn.
Factual narrative
According to the FAA, the pilot was making touch-and-go landings on runway 34 (5,100 ft X 100 ft, asphalt). The pilot said that when he landed, the left brake "stuck" and caused the left tire to skid. He said the nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the runway, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. After examining the airplane, the FAA inspector said the nose wheel assembly had sheared off, breaking the weld in the mount area in the forward bulkhead, necessitating the replacement of the firewall. The inspector could find no discrepancies with the brake system. His report indicated "no binding or sticking" and the brakes worked normally. "The piston in the left caliper worked freely and the caliper could float. There were no flat spots or damage noted on the left tire to indicate a brake may have stuck or was dragging." The brake lining, however, was considerably worn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28989
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-201T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7921030
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dwight R. Hunsicker
- Registered owner
- D&D Aviation Enterprises Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- DMW · Westminster, MD
- Destination
- DMW · Westminster, MD
- Airport
- UNK · Carroll County/Jack B Poage, runway 34, 5,100 × 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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,636 total · 161 in this make and model · 47 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 11 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- FDK, 27 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.