- Date
- November 17, 2019, 13:37 local (18:37 UTC)
- Place
- Venice, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5909VPiper PA32
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20191117021679A
- Case key
- 100569
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
A stuck brake caliper, which overheated while the pilot was taxiing the airplane, caught fire, and subsequently destroyed the airplane.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot taxied the airplane 0.5 mile to the hold-short line at the departure runway where he intended to complete an engine run-up. According to the pilot, the right brake "didn't feel right" as he approached the hold-short line, so he completed a 360° turn to "test the brakes at a higher than normal speed," and the right brake failed. During the turn and once the pilot stopped the airplane, he and the passenger smelled smoke and then saw smoke and fire coming from beneath the airplane. After the pilot and passenger safely egressed the cockpit, the airplane was destroyed by fire. The pilot stated that he thought the brake caliper was stuck, which likely led to the brake caliper catching fire.
Factual narrative
The airline transport-rated pilot taxied the airplane .5 miles to the hold-short line at the departure runway, where he intended to complete an engine run-up. According to the pilot, the right brake "didn't feel right" as he approached the hold-short line, so he completed a 360° turn to "test the brakes at a higher than normal speed." During the turn, smoke and then fire was seen coming from beneath the airplane. Once the airplane was stopped, the pilot and his passenger smelled smoke and then saw the smoke and fire. After the pilot and passenger safely egressed the cockpit, the airplane was destroyed by fire. The pilot stated that he thought the brake caliper was stuck, and while he expected the caliper to be smoking, he had not anticipated the fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5909V
- Reported as
- Piper PA32 (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7740074
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 4,039.91
- Engine
- Lycoming TI0-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 2019 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- VNC · Venice, FL
- Destination
- MYEH · North Eleuthra, CB
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- VNC · Venice Muni, runway 05, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 35 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KVNC
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 10, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5909V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.