- Date
- August 27, 1983, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Charles, LA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8448HPiper PA-28RT-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830827045649A
- Case key
- 21038
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft collided with trees about 50 ft off the right side of the rwy after the left brake failed during hard brake intermittent applications. Failure to release the right brake in a timely fashion caused the acft to swerve to the rightand off the rwy. The plt then applied full power while sliding in wet soft terrain in an effort to fly over the small trees in his path. Realizing there was not enough room he reduced power just prior to tree contact. The operator reported that a neoprene'o'ring on the left brake was found split resulting in loss of brake fluid and brake failure. Further examination revealed that one of the left brake pucks was excessively worn. Hard brake application forced this 'o'ring out of place because of the worn puck. Further brake application caused the 'o' ring to be pinched and lose brake fluid.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8448H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201T (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-8231005
- Airframe hours
- 569
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- R.J. Pumpelly
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 28, 1982 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- ESF · Alexandria, LA
- Airport
- 4R0 · Mcfillen, runway 17, 3,500 × 25 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 225 total · 159 in this make and model · 146 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 79 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.