- Date
- February 7, 1987, 08:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Horseshoe Bay, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N81SMPiper PA-42
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870207002379A
- Case key
- 22232
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 pilot made a fairly long taxi from the ramp to the end of the runway and then started his takeoff roll with the parking brake still partially set. The brakes became very hot and the component parts expanded. After rolling almost 3,000 feet the brakes tightened up to the extent that both main gear tires started leaving black skid marks which continued until the aircraft ran off the end of the runway without obtaining flying speed, a distance of 3,168 feet. It was noted, through a design feature of the aircraft, that the parking brake handle could be placed in the released position without the brake being released. However, this would give the appearance that it had been released. The main gear tires were worn almost slick during this attempted takeoff. Both main gear brakes had been overheated during this time to the extent that they were destroyed. The acft was destroyed by collision with trees, rocks and a fire hydrant at the bottom of a hill off the end of the rwy.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81SM
- Reported as
- Piper PA-42
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42-8001007
- Airframe hours
- 2,002
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-41, 720 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- 1st Texas Turbine Aircraft
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 22, 1985 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- 4R2 · Horseshoe Bay, TX
- Destination
- AUS · Austin, TX
- Airport
- 4R2 · Horseshoe Bay
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,670 total · 12 in this make and model · 3,520 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUS, 35 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.