- Date
- October 14, 2015, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Amarillo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N19CHCessna 421
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20151014018329A
- Case key
- 92290
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 loss of directional control during taxi to the runway as a result of insufficient brake fluid level in the right brake master cylinder, resulting in a taxiway excursion and collision with a drainage culvert.
Findings · 7
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
According to the flight instructor, during the taxi to the runway, the pilot receiving instruction stated that he did not have authority in the right brake. The flight instructor reported that he too applied pressure to the right brake to no avail. He reported that the airplane exited the runway to the left, impacted a drainage culvert and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The airplane brake system was examined by the operator's Director of Maintenance, who determined that the right brake master cylinder was low on fluid causing the brakes to be weak. The last maintenance performed on the brakes occurred on 7/8/2015 at which time both brake discs were replaced and all the brake pads were replaced. The total time on the airplane since the last maintenance on the brakes was 33.6 hours.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, during the taxi to the runway, the pilot receiving instruction stated that he did not have authority in the right brake. The flight instructor reported that he too applied pressure to the right brake to no avail. He reported that the airplane exited the runway to the left, impacted a drainage culvert and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The airplane brake system was examined by the operator's Director of Maintenance, who determined that the right brake master cylinder was low on fluid causing the brakes to be weak. The last maintenance performed on the brakes occurred on 7/8/2015 at which time both brake discs were replaced and all the brake pads were replaced. The total time on the airplane since the last maintenance on the brakes was 33.6 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N19CH
- Reported as
- Cessna 421 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421B0462
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 4,525.1
- Engines
- Cont Motor GTSIO-520-H, 375 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor GTSIO-520-C, 340 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Denny Ohara, doing business as First Flight
- Registered owner
- Ohara Aviation Management Services Lc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 15, 2015
- Departed
- H81 · Amarillo, TX
- Destination
- H81 · Amarillo, TX
- Airport
- H81 · River Falls, runway 17, 6,015 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Auto-pilot
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 32,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 32,000 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- December 31, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,620 total · 38 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 146 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KAMA, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 27, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.