IAD04LA019

The pilot attempted a takeoff in the homebuilt airplane. During the takeoff roll, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, struck runway lights, and went into a creek. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that it was equipped with a free-castoring nose wheel and motorcycle brakes. It was found that the left brake dragged due to a lack of clearance between the brake pad and brake rotor. The lack of clearance was attributable to the design of the brakes and their adaptation from a motorcycle to an airplane.

On May 1, 2004, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt VM-1 Esqual, N626EA, was substantially damaged during an attempted takeoff from Cambridge Municipal Airport (CDI), Cambridge, Ohio. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, he attempted to take off from runway 22. After he set the throttle to takeoff power, the airplane "started pulling abruptly to the left." The pilot applied "strong right rudder," in an effort to counteract the turning, but to no avail. The airplane then veered off the left side of the runway, struck runway lights, and went into a creek.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane after the accident and submitted a Service Difficulty Report (SDR). According to the report, the airplane was equipped with a free-castoring nose landing gear and was configured to use motorcycle brakes on the main landing gear. A post-accident examination of the brakes revealed that the right brake operated normally; however, the left brake dragged due to a lack of clearance between the brake pad and the brake rotor. The lack of clearance was attributable to the design of the brakes and their adaptation from a motorcycle to an airplane.