- Date
- November 11, 1983, 16:46 local (22:46 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 19, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19831111059301A19831111059302A
- Case key
- 21207
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
See FTW84LA056A
See Cause FTW84LA056A
The landing gear normal brake system was inoperative due to inadequate maintenance service of aircraft by other maintenance personnel.
Analysis
The plts of 4 acft back taxied south on rwy 16/34 to takeoff to the north or rwy 34. At the south end of the rwy, the 1st 3 acft had turned off onto a run-up area & the 1st plt had taxied into the takeoff positon when the 4th acft arrived. When the 4th acft, Piper PA-34, N31856, approached the turnoff point, the plt applied the wheel brakes & discovered the left brake to be ineffective. He released the right brake & unsuccessfully attempted to use differential power & nosewheel steering to make a left turn and avoid a collision. His right wing tip scraped the right wing tip of Cessna 414, N711RT, causing only minor damage. After clearing the Cessna, the right wing of N31856 impacted the leading edge of the right wing of Beech 95-B55 N25631. N31856 then spun around & its propellers hit the trailing edge of the Beech's right wing & right horizontal stabilizer, causing substantial damage to both acft. An investigation revealed the brake fluid reservoir for the left brake was empty. After servicing, it operated normally.
The plts of 4 acft back taxied south on rwy 16/34 to takeoff to the north of rwy 34. At the south end of the rwy, the 1st 3 acft had turned off onto a run-up area & the 1st plt had taxied into the takeoff position when the 4th acft arrived. When the 4th acft, Piper PA-34, N31856, approached the turnoff point, the plt applied the wheel brakes & discovered the left brake to be ineffective. He released the right brake & unsuccessfully attempted to use differential power & nosewheel steering to make a left turn and avoid a collision. His right wing tip scraped the right wing tip of Cessna 414, N711RT, causing only minor damage. After clearing the Cessna, the right wing of N31856 impacted the leading edge of the right wing of Beech 95-B55, N25631. N31856 then spun around & its propellers hit the trailing edge of the Beech's right wing & right horizontal stabilizer, causing substantial damage to both acft. An investigation revealed the brake fluid reservoir for the left brake was empty. After servicing, it operated normally.
Factual narrative
The plts of 4 acft back taxied south on rwy 16/34 to takeoff to the north of rwy 34. At the south end of the rwy, the 1st 3 acft had turned off onto a run-up area & the 1st plt had taxied into the takeoff position when the 4th acft arrived. When the 4th acft, Piper PA-34, N31856, approached the turnoff point, the plt applied the wheel brakes & discovered the left brake to be ineffective. He released the right brake & unsuccessfully attempted to use differential power & nosewheel steering to make a left turn and avoid a collision. His right wing tip scraped the right wing tip of Cessna 414, N711RT, causing only minor damage. After clearing the Cessna, the right wing of N31856 impacted the leading edge of the right wing of Beech 95-B55, N25631. N31856 then spun around & its propellers hit the trailing edge of the Beech's right wing & right horizontal stabilizer, causing substantial damage to both acft. An investigation revealed the brake fluid reservoir for the left brake was empty. After servicing, it operated normally.
The plts of 4 acft back taxied south on rwy 16/34 to takeoff to the north of rwy 34. At the south end of the rwy, the 1st 3 acft had turned off onto a run-up area & the 1st plt had taxied into the takeoff position when the 4th acft arrived. When the 4th acft, Piper PA-34, N31856, approached the turnoff point, the plt applied the wheel brakes & discovered the left brake to be ineffective. He released the right brake & unsuccessfully attempted to use differential power & nosewheel steering to make a left turn and avoid a collision. His right wing tip scraped the right wing tip of Cessna 414, N711RT, causing only minor damage. After clearing the Cessna, the right wing of N31856 impacted the leading edge of the right wing of Beech 95-B55, N25631. N31856 then spun around & its propellers hit the trailing edge of the Beech's right wing & right horizontal stabilizer, causing substantial damage to both acft. An investigation revealed the brake fluid reservoir for the left brake was empty. After servicing, it operated normally.
The plts of 4 acft back taxied south on rwy 16/34 to takeoff to the north of rwy 34. At the south end of the rwy, the 1st 3 acft had turned off onto a run-up area & the 1st plt had taxied into the takeoff position when the 4th acft arrived. When the 4th acft, Piper PA-34, N31856, approached the turnoff point, the plt applied the wheel brakes & discovered the left brake to be ineffective. He released the right brake & unsuccessfully attempted to use differential power & nosewheel steering to make a left turn and avoid a collision. His right wing tip scraped the right wing tip of Cessna 414, N711RT, causing only minor damage. After clearing the Cessna, the right wing of N31856 impacted the leading edge of the right wing of Beech 95-B55, N25631. N31856 then spun around & its propellers hit the trailing edge of the Beech's right wing & right horizontal stabilizer, causing substantial damage to both acft. An investigation revealed the brake fluid reservoir for the left brake was empty. After servicing, it operated normally.
Aircraft · 3
- Registration
- N31856
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7870269
- Airframe hours
- 1,822
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Howard Aviation
- Registered owner
- Andrew J. Howard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- T04 · Georgetown, TX
- Airport
- AAP · Andrau, runway 34, 4,750 × 50 ft, concrete
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.
- Registration
- N25631
- Reported as
- Beech 95-B55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-1523
- Airframe hours
- 1,255
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fincher & Son Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1983
- Destination
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- Airport
- AAP · Andrau, runway 34, 4,750 × 50 ft, concrete
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.
- Registration
- N711RT
- Reported as
- Cessna 414A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 414A0281
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-N, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91 subpart F
- Registered owner
- Rainbow Drilling Co. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 4TX6 · Kilgore, TX
- Airport
- AAP · Andrau, runway 34, 4,750 × 50 ft
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N31856
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 75 in this make and model · 720 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N25631
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 780 total · 500 in this make and model · 720 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.