- Date
- May 4, 2002, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N51460Maule M-4-210C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020504007809A
- Case key
- 54593
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 inadvertent activation of the parking brake and locking of the right brake. A contributing factor was the pilot's operation of the aircraft with a known malfunction of the right brake system.
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 said that he applied the brakes shortly after takeoff to stop the wheels from rotating and upon landing, the right brake was locked or dragging and the airplane ground looped. The surface wind was reported calm. According to the FAA inspector who examined the airplane after it had been moved to a hangear, the pilot stated that during taxi, on several occasions, when the brakes were applied the right brake would stick and the problem was the parking brake clip on top of the right master cylinder.
Factual narrative
On May 4, 2002, at 0900 Pacific daylight time, a Maule M-4-210, N51460, ground looped during landing at the Reno/Stead airport, Reno, Nevada. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The tail wheel equipped airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight was operated by Diamax, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91, and departed from a private airstrip near Reno at 0850. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The private pilot told the FAA inspector that he applied the brakes shortly after takeoff to stop the wheels from rotating. In the pilot/operator report form, the pilot stated that upon landing, the right brake was locked or dragging and when he touched down, the airplane ground looped. The surface wind was reported calm. According to the FAA inspector who examined the airplane after it had been moved to a hangar, the pilot stated that during taxi, on several occasions, when the brakes were applied the right brake would stick and the problem was the parking brake clip on top of the master cylinder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51460
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-210C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1115C
- Airframe hours
- 1,500
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-D33A, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Diamax, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 5, 2002 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- N86 · Reno, NV
- Destination
- 4SD
- Airport
- 4SD · Reno/Stead, runway 26, 7,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 10, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 100 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2003, 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.