- Date
- July 5, 2016, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spring Branch, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N42415Avions Mudry ET Cie CAP
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- FAA report
- 20160705018159I
- Case key
- 93583
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 flight instructor's inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll as a result of the malfunctioning brake master cylinder.
Findings · 4
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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, during the landing roll the airplane encountered a wind gust from right, the airplane began to "weathervane" and he applied left rudder and differential braking. He reported that he was flying the airplane from the right seat and that, "Rather than attempt to keep the aircraft on the runway I allowed the aircraft to depart the right side of the runway under control and in a straight line." The flight instructor reported that he continued to apply the brakes and the airplane crossed the safety area, rolled on to the parallel taxiway, ground looped to the right and struck a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The airplane and more specifically the brake master cylinders were examined at the repair facility by a Federal Aviation Administration certificated Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic. The mechanic reported that the factory installed brake system was all original, and that the, inspection of the brake master cylinders revealed them to be un-airworthy due to aged and defective O-rings. He reported that, if air is introduced into either the left or right wheel brake master cylinders located on the left side of the airplane, then the brake pedals would be ineffective on either side of the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, during the landing roll the airplane encountered a wind gust from right, the airplane began to "weathervane" and he applied left rudder and differential braking. He reported that he was flying the airplane from the right seat and that, "Rather than attempt to keep the aircraft on the runway I allowed the aircraft to depart the right side of the runway under control and in a straight line." The flight instructor reported that he continued to apply the brakes and the airplane crossed the safety area, rolled on to the parallel taxiway, ground looped to the right and struck a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The airplane and more specifically the brake master cylinders were examined at the repair facility by a Federal Aviation Administration certificated Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic. The mechanic reported that the factory installed brake system was all original, and that the, inspection of the brake master cylinders revealed them to be un-airworthy due to aged and defective O-rings. He reported that, if air is introduced into either the left or right wheel brake master cylinders located on the left side of the airplane, then the brake pedals would be ineffective on either side of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42415
- Reported as
- Avions Mudry ET Cie CAP (10B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- EPC-162
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 2,271.9
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-B2F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 4, 2016 · 2,271.9 hours before
- Departed
- 1T7 · Spring Branch, TX
- Destination
- 1T7 · Spring Branch, TX
- Airport
- 1T7 · Kestrel Airpark, runway 12, 3,000 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Data recorder
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 19, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 9,500 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 9, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 6,257.7 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KSAT, 16 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 15, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.